Albert Pujols Rumors: 10 Reasons St. Louis Cardinals Should Let Him Walk

With reports swirling that Albert Pujols has obtained three contract offers for 10 years and in excess of $200 million from the Cardinals, Marlins and a yet unidentified team, we could have a decision soon from what is the biggest free agent to hit the open market perhaps ever.

While losing him would be a blow to a Cardinals team coming off a World Series win and poised to contend for another title, in the end the team may be better off letting him walk.

So here are 10 reasons why the Cardinals would be best served letting the 32-year-old superstar walk this offseason and moving on without him.

The Length of the Deal

With a 10-year offer on the table, signing Pujols will not just mean adding arguably the game's top hitter for the next few seasons, but for the next decade.

While he is still producing at a high level at the age of 31, what will that production look like when he is 36? What about when he is 41? He has the ability to remain an offensive force late into his career but it seems doubtful he will still be a .300/30/100 threat into his 40s.

It seems as though for every long-term deal that works out in the big leagues, there are a dozen that teams wind up regretting.

The Cost of the Deal

Few players in baseball history have commanded a salary of over $20 million per year, and while Pujols has earned that sort of compensation more so than anyone to play the game in recent memory, it is still a huge commitment to just one player.

Essentially, the Cardinals would be committing somewhere between one-fifth and one-sixth of their total payroll to one player, and while Pujols is a terrific player he likely will not be worth that big of a commitment halfway through the contract. Throw in the $17 million per year the team owes Matt Holliday through 2016, and there is limited payroll freedom for the team moving forward.

With Chris Carpenter getting up there in years, and Adam Wainwright looking to bounce back from injury, the team may need to spend money looking for a staff ace not too far down the road and the money they have tied to those two guys could keep them from doing that.

Down 2011 Season or New Stat Line To Expect?

Pujols has started his career arguably better than anyone in recent memory, posting 10 straight seasons of .300/30/100 right out of the gate before just missing those milestones last season.

For most players, a .299/37/99 season would be a fantastic year but for Pujols it was a down season and at the very least a tiny red flag when it comes to signing him.

There is little question he will continue to be a premier slugger, but there is a big difference between his 2009 numbers (.327/47/135) and his 2011 numbers and that is the difference between the best hitter in baseball and one of the best first basemen in baseball. Just something for the Cardinals to think about if those are the numbers he will continue to put up moving forward.

The Return of Adam Wainwright

The Cardinals captured a World Series title in 2011, despite the fact that they lost their ace Adam Wainwright for the year before the season even began.

While the duo of Jamie Garcia and Kyle Lohse stepped up in his absence, adding Wainwright back to the mix will essentially be one of the best offseason acquisitions that any team makes.

Losing Pujols would be a big blow, but the return of Wainwright would go a long ways towards offsetting that loss and should still make the Cardinals the favorites in the NL Central and put them in position to repeat as champs.

Other Low-Cost Free-Agent Options on the Market

While Pujols and Prince Fielder headline the first base crop of free agents and the free-agent class as a whole, there are other productive options on the free-agent market who could at least take steps towards replacing Pujols' production.

Players like Casey Kotchman (.306/10/48, 2.9 WAR) and Carlos Pena (.225/28/80, 2.2 WAR) could be had on a short-term contract for a fraction of what Pujols will cost.

While those players are somewhat attractive options, the Cardinals also have some internal options who could step in with the departure of Pujols.

Lance Berkman in 2012

After taking a chance on Lance Berkman last offseason on a one-year, $8 million deal the Cardinals have brought him back on another one-year deal, this time for $12 million.

Berkman earned NL Comeback Player of the Year honors last season when he hit .301/31/94 as he gave the Cardinals another impressive bat in the middle of the order to join Pujols and Holliday.

While he played right field last year, Berkman is better served to play first base, and with Allen Craig coming off of a .315/11/40 regular season and impressive postseason, he could be ready to step into a full-time role in right field.

Allen Craig Post-2012

While Berkman was a fantastic surprise last season, and should be productive once again this coming season, he will be 36 years old and is likely nearing the end of what has been an impressive career.

However, Allen Craig proved last season with a fantastic regular-season line of .315/11/40 despite getting just 200 at-bats.

He has played all over the field since making his debut last season, and while he was developed as a left fielder and third baseman, those positions look to be occupied in the near future with Matt Holliday and David Freese locked in. First base could be his ticket to regular at-bats moving forward.

Matt Adams Is an Option Too

A 23rd-round selection in the 2009 MLB draft, Adams opened eyes in his first pro season, as he hit .355/10/52 in just 63 games.

He has done nothing to diminish his stock since that season, hitting .310/22/88 in 2010 in a full season at Single-A, and then putting up even better numbers last year with a .300/32/101 as a 22-year-old at Double-A last season.

Adams is a big 6'3", 230-pound guy and there is no reason to think his power shouldn't translate to the big league level. If he can continue to develop, the Cardinals could play Allen Craig in right field and Adams at first base by 2013.

A Weak NL Central Outlook

The NL Central has been one of the most wide open and underperforming divisions in baseball for several years now, and it is not getting any better moving forward.

The Cubs are set to begin rebuilding under Theo Epstein, the Brewers are losing Prince Fielder, the Reds are short on starting pitching, the Pirates aren't quite there yet and the Astros are the worst team in baseball.

For now and for the near future, the Cardinals look to be the best team in the division, with or without Pujols, and they should be the favorites entering 2012 regardless of what happens with their star.

The Cardinals Can Repeat Without Pujols

Losing Pujols would be a blow to the Cardinals' hopes of repeating as World Series champs, no question about it, but the team should still be in a good position to go all the way even without their star slugger.

The Cardinals proved last year that once you get to the postseason, anything can happen and in a weak NL Central, they should be more than capable of capturing the division title and punching their ticket to October.

From there, with the trio of Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia, coupled with an impressive bullpen and the offensive punch of Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman, David Freese and Allen Craig among others, the Cardinals still have the horses to win it all in 2012 without bringing back Albert Pujols.