MLB Trade Rumors: Cardinals Reduced Offer to 5 Years for Albert Pujols?

After finishing my food shopping yesterday morning, I was listening to Inside Pitch on the SiriusXM MLB channel, and Casey Stern had just finished an interview with Bob Nigjhtengale of the USA Today. I did not hear any of the conversation, but Stern was incredulous as to what Nightengale had told him.

Nightengale told Stern that the Cardinals, after offering Albert Pujols a 9 or 10 year deal, had taken that off the table and reduced the offer to just 5 years. 5 years!!! Stern did not mention the dollar amount for the 5 year offer, and maybe Nightengale did not know or tell him. Even still, Stern went off on the Cardinals for such a ridiculous offer, and I cannot blame him.

Any Cardinals fan who is upset with Pujols for signing with the Angels should now turn their attention to their owner Bill Dewitt and GM John Mozeliak. That offer was a slap in the face to one of the game's best hitters. The Cardinals had all the time in the world to sign Pujols to an extension, but instead felt that they should not pay him for the Hall of Fame career he had given them over the past 11 seasons.

According to Nightengale, the Cardinals offer was the fourth best offer he had received, behind the Angels, Marlins and a mystery team.