It’s a nauseating prospect for just about anyone who isn’t a Yankees fan, but Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune played the speculation game yesterday regarding Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Adrian Gonzalez and other monster stars who could become available in the next couple of years:
Pujols is talking a good game with the Cardinals. But can he really ignore the 10-year, $27.5 million-per-year deal that Alex Rodriguez got from the Yankees two years ago, when he was older than Pujols will be when his contract ends after the 2011 season? . . . The Yankees are keeping the DH spot clear, for the time being, as a potential way to accommodate Pujols, Fielder or even Gonzalez playing alongside Mark Teixeira. They have advanced catching prospects (Jesus Montero and Austin Romine) to offer if the Twins reach a choking point with Mauer, which Mauer will dictate more than the club.
I’ve been known to subscribe to the occasional conspiracy theory so take this with a grain of salt, but I think it far more likely that Major League Baseball would cut a secret deal with the Cardinals and/or the Twins to subsidize contract extensions for Pujols and Mauer out of some slush fund than it would be to see the Yankees land one or both of them in free agency.