2011 MLB Offseason: St. Louis Cardinals Need to Give Albert Pujols What He Wants

Everyone knows the story: Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals are in the process of negotiating a new contract for the best player in baseball.

Pujols has set a deadline for a new contract for Wednesday and has said he won't negotiate a contract after that time.

If the Cardinals don't figure out a way to sign him either now or after the season, it will be the worst thing to happen to St. Louis sports in a long time.

But, it's not Pujols's fault that he hasn't signed a deal yet. For some reason, the Cardinals keep trying to low-ball him with offers that aren't fit for the best player in baseball, which is a ridiculous stance for the Cardinals' organization to take.

The Cardinals need to give Pujols whatever he wants. Here are some reasons why St. Louis should give Prince Albert a blank check and tell him to fill in whatever amount he wants.

They Have the Money

The Cardinals have the money to make Pujols the highest-paid player in baseball history.

A lot of people look at the Cardinals as a small market team, but that simply isn't the case. They have enough money and resources to have a payroll that is consistently among the top 10 in Major League Baseball.

They signed Matt Holliday to a huge deal last offseason, so they can't act like they don't have money for another star player.

But, if the Holliday money really did make it so they don't have enough money to sign Pujols, then it should go down as one of the worst signings in history.

There's not a single person in St. Louis who would say they'd rather have Holliday than Pujols.

He's the Best Player in Baseball

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball right now. You don't let players like that walk away in free agency, especially when they don't want to leave.

Pujols doesn't want to be traded and has said he'll veto any trade the Cardinals might try to work out during the season.

That means he wants the Cardinals to have every chance possible to re-sign him.

So, if they can't get a deal done, it will be a major failure on the part of the St. Louis Cardinals

He'll Restructure the Deal if the Team Starts to Lose

The one thing that drives Pujols crazy is losing. He can't stand it.

So, if the Cardinals are worried that giving Pujols a giant contract will make them less competitive, they should still do it.

That way, if the team starts losing and can't make trades or land key free agents, Pujols will get irritated.

And, since he's the ultimate team player, he'll restructure his deal and take less money to make the team more competitive.

Because, after all, the only team that wouldn't feel a pinch from a giant contract is the New York Yankees, and they already have quite a bit of money invested in Mark Teixeira.

Conclusion

The St. Louis Cardinals need to make the smart decision and give Pujols the giant contract he wants and deserves.

The potential negatives of not having Pujols in the lineup far outweigh the potential negatives of giving him a monster contract.

If Pujols winds up in another uniform, I'll switch to rooting for my second-favorite team, the Minnesota Twins, for a couple years. At least they know how to lock up their star player (Joe Mauer) for the long term.