Rich Gannon Career Stats

Rich Gannon Career Stats

Rich Gannon Career Stats

The deadline came and passed, and the St. Louis Cardinals couldn't get their all-star first baseman to sign a new contract, meaning Albert Pujols will be on the market for any team to sign at the end of the season. The news comes after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on an extension for the slugger after Pujols' self-imposed deadline of February 15.

Pujols has said that he set the deadline and is refusing to discuss the matter further during the regular season because he doesn't want it to become a distraction on the field. The first baseman was looking for a deal that put him at least in the top five amongst Major League Baseball players in terms of salary. According to ESPN.com, a previous offer that the Cardinals made was not rich enough to extend Pujols' services, which would require in the ballpark of $30 million per year.

Show Albert the Money

It's difficult to argue against the nine-time all-star's desire to be paid his market value. Although almost $98 million is certainly nothing to sneeze at, which is what Pujols has earned since he entered the league in 2001, he is vastly underpaid when taking into account the earnings of his peers and his performance throughout his career.