ST. LOUIS — Albert Pujols repeatedly has said he wants to spend his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Staring at a spring training deadline for contract negotiations, the team chairman remains hopeful the three-time NL MVP will get his wish.
Pujols declined Sunday to provide an update on negotiations. His agent has said he will cut off talks at the start of spring training if an agreement is not in place, and general manager John Mozeliak confirmed the deadline.
A representative of Pujols’ agent stood to the slugger’s left and deflected questions on the topic at Sunday’s news conference before the first baseman held a two-hour, sold-out autograph session at the team’s Winter Warmup.
“Do you want to bring all that into the clubhouse all year, like you guys have been doing the last couple of years?” Pujols said. “No. I respect my teammates more than this contract. That’s why you have to set some deadline on this, and that’s it.”
Chairman Bill DeWitt said the Cardinals’ payroll for next season projects to “well above $100 million,” which is the highest ever for the franchise and includes $16 million for Pujols’ option year. De-Witt said Pujols was irreplaceable, both as a talent and as the face of the franchise.
“That’s all wrapped into one. He’s an iconic player because he’s such a great player,” DeWitt said. “He’s proven year in and year out that he’s one of the greatest players to play the game. . . . You can’t go out and find an Albert Pujols.”
Pujols led the National League with 42 homers last season and won his first league RBI title with 118. He also tied Matt Holliday for the team batting lead at .312.
Manager Tony La Russa said he’d stay out of the talks.
“I’m not going to say a word,” La Russa said.
Holliday stays in left.
La Russa quickly put Holliday’s concerns to rest when the manager said Holliday is his left fielder, period, and that Lance Berkman would be in right field.
“Lance will make the routine play out there, there’s no doubt in my mind,” the manager said. “That’s where he’s going to play, and Matt doesn’t have to make a change.”
Berkman, who’ll be 35 next month, has been primarily a first baseman the last four years but has dropped 20 pounds in preparation for a return to the outfield.
