Writers from around Tribune Co. discuss whether the St. Louis Cardinals' success in keeping soon-to-be free agent Albert Pujols is contingent on the team winning the World Series. Check back throughout the day for more responses and weigh in with a comment of your own.
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times
The short answer is yes, Albert Pujols is absolutely coming back to St. Louis.
Well, probably. Oh, just say maybe.
Truth is, even Albert doesn't know what he's going to do. And he's refusing to talk about it now. "Let's talk about how I can help my team bring another World Series to the greatest fans in baseball," he said Tuesday.
Those "greatest fans" are likely to play heavily in Pujols' offseason thinking. As will his charity work and his business ties in St. Louis.
The clincher, though, may be the offers he gets. Pujols reportedly was looking for 10 years and $300 million. He won't get either. The lessons of Alex Rodriguez, who has struggled since signing a 10-year, $275-million extension with the Yankees, will lead to caution. So unless Pujols does markedly better than the seven years and $200 million the Cardinals have already offered, look for him to remain in St. Louis.
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