JUPITER, Fla. — St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said first baseman Albert Pujols and his representatives are being pressured by the players’ union during contract negotiations.
Pujols is eligible to become a free agent after the World Series and has set a deadline for 10 a.m. MST today to reach agreement on a new deal.
Pujols has vowed to cut off negotiations once he arrives at spring training, perhaps today. La Russa said Tuesday he thinks the three- time NL MVP is being pushed to set a new standard with his contract.
“I know what he’s going through with the union and to some extent his representatives because his representatives are getting beat up by the union,” La Russa said. “Set the bar, set the bar. You’ve got to deal with it. It’s not the way it should be.”
Alex Rodriguez‘s $275 million, 10-year deal with the New York Yankees is baseball’s high.
• Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones took grounders and got in some swings on the first day of spring training, a significant step in his recovery from knee surgery.
• San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell (calf) is day to day.
• Real estate tycoon Donald Trump said he wants to help New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, who is under pressure from a lawsuit from the trustee trying to recover money for the victims of the Bernard Madoff swindle.
• Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to the Seattle Mariners as a special consultant less than a year after abruptly retiring from baseball.
• A federal judge in the perjury case against Barry Bonds will allow an audio recording in which, prosecutors claim, the home run king’s personal trainer discussed his steroids use. The trial is scheduled to start March 21.
Contador gets reprieve
MADRID — Alberto Contador was cleared of doping after Spanish cycling authorities reversed their proposal to ban him for one year. The federation ruled he was not at fault for a positive test at the Tour de France that Contador blamed on contaminated meat.
The Spaniard will keep his third Tour title and can ride in this year’s race, but the International Cycling Union and the World Anti-Doping Agency can appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Footnotes.
A federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., upheld former University of Colorado and NFL receiver Rae Carruth‘s conviction for plotting to kill his pregnant girlfriend. Cherica Adams died weeks after she was shot in 1999.
• Miami Heat center Dexter Pittman is expected to miss five to six weeks after having surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee.
• Orlando Magic executive Pat Williams has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. Doctors said they are optimistic they caught the disease in the early stages.
• All-star defenseman Dustin Byfuglien signed a five-year, $26 million contract extension with the Atlanta Thrashers.
• Kansas City forward Teal Bunbury is expected to be sidelined two to four weeks after dislocating his right elbow during an MLS preseason match against Houston.
The Associated Press
