Pujols’ numbers so far not worthy of his demands

Under the cover of night and a Bulls playoff game, the St. Louis Cardinals arrive in Wrigley Field for a three-game series against the Cubs.

For years now the Cards’ magnificent Albert Pujols has been one of baseball’s most admired players.

However, excuse me for giggling at Pujols’ early-season struggles. Any athlete deserves to squirm a little after reportedly starting contract negotiations at $300 million for 10 seasons.

(Of course, I also think that anybody receiving more than minimum wage is overpaid. That includes me, especially me, in a self-loathing way.)

Anyway, even baseball’s best player deserves to squirm some even if he might also deserve the money.

Pujols will be at first base Tuesday night. Cubs fans wouldn’t mind if he were stationed there permanently starting next season.

At least that was the sentiment before Pujols came to town batting .248 with 7 home runs and 22 runs batted in 35 games.

The power numbers aren’t bad. They project to about 33 home runs and 105 RBI for a 162-game season.

The problem is, they aren’t Albert Pujols numbers after he averaged .331, 41 homers and 123 RBI during his first 10 major-league seasons.

So, what if Pujols finishes well below his career norm? What will he be worth then on his next contract?

When negotiations with the Cardinals were suspended in spring training the assumption was that Pujols would have another of his customary seasons, become a free agent and reap the treasures of an open market.

Pujols certainly assumed that. He couldn’t imagine coming in at a mere — mere for him — 33 homers instead of 41, 105 RBI instead of 123 and even a rallying .300 instead of .331.

So the new projections change everything, don’t they? If they are what Pujols comes in at, anybody considering offering him somewhere between $300 million and $250 million over 10 years would have to reconsider.

Even the Cardinals, to whom Pujols will be worth the most after the goodwill he built in St. Louis, would be insane to meet his original asking price.

Any other team — let’s say the Cubs — would have to drop out of the bidding before getting in.

Pujols’ numbers as they stand now are worth more like $15 million a year and for nowhere near 10 years.

Most worrisome would be Pujols’ decline from his peak. Who could be certain that the dip isn’t the start of a more pronounced dip during his second major-league decade?

Heck, at Pujols’ listed age of 31, myriad players of various quality have begun feeling the impact of the physical wear and tear and mental stress and strain.

This whole Pujols thing would be a lot less complicated if he has one more season like the past 10. Some team like the Cardinals, Cubs or a couple of others would be tempted to throw million-dollar bills at him.

Now, though, the herd of potential suitors will be thinned if Pujols isn’t Pujols again by season’s end.

As any working stiff can tell you after the past few years, economic models have a way of changing faster than you can say “Albert Pujols!”

In fact, Pujols will start looking good again at first base in Wrigley Field if he goes 5-for-5 Tuesday night with a couple of homers and 6 RBI.

Sorry, but for now I prefer the Pujols who is struggling and squirming a little bit.

mimrem@dailyherald.com