Panic Button

The question looming on baseball fan's minds as spring training fastly approaches is, "Should Cardinals fans hit the panic button?"  This is in reference Albert Pujols' imposed deadline for a contract extension.  He told the Cardinals that if they do not reach a deadline by this date, he will test the free agent market next fall.  With this date approaching and apparently nowhere near an agreement.  I think this is another one of those subjects that's being blown way out of proportion.  I think Cardinals fans have nothing to worry about.
Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball, period.  He is playing for the national league version of the New York Yankees.  He is the man in St Louis.  There are teams that would LOVE nothing more than to add him to their roster.  First of all their are very few teams that could afford a contract to his demands.  Big market teams such as the Mets or Yankees, Dodgers or Angels, Cubs or White Sox, Red Sox, or the Phillies are the only ones that could afford him.
Albert Pujols going to another team would be like Peyton Manning leaving the Colts, Emmit Smith leaving the Cowboys, Elway leaving the Broncos, Marino leaving the Dolphins.  You get the idea.
The Cardinals are the ones who can screw this up.  They are one of the most successful franchises in professional sports, let alone baseball.  They are in the playoff discussion every year.  They got along fine before Pujols, and they will get along just fine after Pujols.  As far as the organization is concerned they have the most dangerous bargaining chip that they don't really need him.  And they don't.
But there's more to Pujols than just himself.  He is very modest.  He doesn't call attention to himself.  He doesn't command attention.  He's not selfish.  He's active in the community.  He has roots in the community deeper than the Cardinals organization.  He's something that's rare in baseball these days. He's a team player.  He knows that the other 8 guys are just as important as he is.  What happens when an NFL player doesn't like his contract or wants an extension before training camp??  He holds out.  He doesn't participate at all until his demands are met.  What does Pujols do?  He's reporting for spring training days before the rest of the team, as he always does.
I think this deadline that he imposed goes along those lines.  What happens when a star player goes into the last year of his contract with no extension in the future.  There are non stop questions about it until a deal is reached.  He imposed this deadline to avoid this distraction.  He doesn't want this to be a distraction towards the end of the season when the Cardinals are contending for a World Series.  While his intentions are good, it's not going to work.  There will still be questions.
Does this mean there can't be any contract talks after this deadline??  Absolutely not.  There will still be conversations and talks between his agent and the Cardinals.  Pujols doesn't want to be bothered with it.  He doesn't want the distraction, he just wants to concentrate on and play baseball.  Most of the talks will be with his agent, all Albert has to say is yes or no.
Most players reason for leaving a team is money or to win a championship.  But is the grass really gonna be greener on the other side in this situation??  The Mets or Yankees aren't really gonna pay him much more than the Cardinals.  Not only that while this may be about money, I can't see Pujols going somewhere else just for the money.  He's not materialistic like Alex Rodriguez.  If he goes somewhere else, it's the opposite.  He's going to be watching up as the Cardinals win another without him.
Then there's the issue that most free agents don't have the luxury of.  His teammates, most recently Matt Holliday have offered to renegotiate their contract to free up some money for him.  This team wants him back and are willing to pay for it.  That's unheard of in the NFL.
There are VERY few players in professional sports that I will say this about, but he deserves to be the highest player in baseball.  Albert Pujols is truely a class act and deserves what he will get.  I think both sides realize what is at steak here.  When all is said and done, Albert Pujols will be the highest player in baseball, and deserves it.
It's no secret I don't care for the Cardinals.  I despise them almost as much as the Yankees.  While part of me would love to see the Cardinals screw this up, I think it would be a big tragedy for the Cardinals to let him go.  And not for the Cardinals but for the people of St Louis.  I truely hope both sides come to an agreement because Albert Pujols deserves to be the highest player in baseball, and he deserves to retire as a Cardinal.