Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Pujols agress to $100 million deal

The St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols have tentatively agreed to a seven-year contract for about $100 million.

Pujols is scheduled for a Friday arbitration hearing -- he was asking for a $10.5 million salary and the team offered $7 million -- but the deal is expected to be announced before then.

An option for an eighth year could make the contract worth $111 million.

He made $950,000 last season when he finished second behind Barry Bonds in voting for the NL MVP award.

At 24, Pujols led the major leagues in hitting at .359 last year. He hit 43 home runs with 124 RBIs and topped the majors with 51 doubles. In three seasons, he's hitting .334 with 114 homers and 381 RBIs.


St. Louis made Pujols the ninth baseball player to receive a $100 million contract, the first since Jason Giambi's $120 million, seven-year agreement with the New York Yankees in December 2001.

Pujols has played only three full seasons, making him the quickest to receive a $100 million contract. Colorado's Todd Helton signed a $141.5 million, nine-year extension in March 2001 after three-plus seasons in the big leagues.

great addition, pujols is going to be a great player for years to come.

Pujols deserves the 111 million. Very few people have had the success he's had in their first three major league seasons. Because of his consistency, I think he'll make a run for the HR record. If he doesn't get it, he'll at least break the 600 HR barrier. I hope his career doesn't get off track with injuries as griffey JR.'s did. I look forward to watching him play for the next 15 years.

Isnt Griffey going into the spring training healthy?

Hopefully he will... he could have had an awesome season last year, after what he did in Spring Training.