Albert Pujols has had about the best first three seasons of any player in the history of baseball. So, it comes as no surprise that he's looking to cash in, and rightfully so. He says he won't give the Cardinals a bargain. One has to imagine that Pujols is going to win a massive arbitration award, as he's currently among the top five offensive players in the game. St. Louis has offered him 5 years and $55 million, but that seems laughably low to me, even given the slowdown in the market over the past two years.
St. Louis was able to get Mark McGwire to sign for much less than his market value because he loved playing there so much. Whether or not they can get Pujols to do the same will have a big impact on the future of the franchise.