Official release from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension for Albert Pujols by the deadline set by the All-Star first baseman.
John Mozeliak and Bill DeWitt comment on the negotiations
Pujols, 31, who is signed with the club through the 2011 season, set today as a deadline for reaching an agreement on an extension before reporting to the club for Spring Training.
“While we are disappointed that we did not reach an agreement, we remain hopeful that Albert will finish his career in St. Louis,” said Cardinals Chairman William O. DeWitt Jr.
“Albert has been playing baseball at the highest level for the Cardinals these past ten years, providing us with countless great memories. We look forward to many more in 2011 and hopefully beyond. We are looking forward to this upcoming season and feel great about the team we have assembled,” DeWitt said.
“We respect Albert’s decision to focus entirely on preparing for the 2011 season,” DeWitt said, “We will honor his wishes and not discuss this matter until the completion of the season.”
Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak confirmed that the team did make a substantial, long-term offer, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement by today’s deadline. “We have agreed to keep all details confidential out of respect for the process,” Mozeliak said.
