I really had a hard time getting comps that aligned with Ludwick other than Xavier Nady (2008′s version). I think the Twins are getting a really good deal with Jason Kubel at $4.1M this year, for example. If Jayson Werth has a nice season at a $7 million salary this year, that could be a mark for Ludwick next year. The one big difference is that Werth is one year ahead of Ludwick in service time, so this is his first free agent eligible year…

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9584104

http://suqalmal.blogspot.com/2010/01/kingdom-holding-company-issues-press.html

http://prophecybeyond.ning.com/forum/topics/saudi-prince-to-citibank-ceo?xg_source=activity

http://www.livemint.com/2010/01/10211511/Saudi-prince8217s-plan-show.html

The real point is………..try to deal with this……….. the Saud’s have decided to surface. They are going around the off shore blockade straight through the front door at this point………………………… BD3 says the Cardinals might like the Bond market soon for Cardinal Village. ……… This likely had an influence in the Holiday deal…………at any cost. Pujols is working for position…….BD is working for position. To what extent they have similar goals is still unclear………………….but Albert isn’t going to be Sh-t on by the teams media machine if they have indeed decided to part ways. His value wherever, is going to be decided by this relationship. They are fighting over about 70/80 million I’d guess. Tony/Albert both attacking through the fan base should be evident to everyone here by now.

He is pumping management, as I’m suggesting. Kind of interesting how that aspect of the interview escaped the PD writers………………kind of……….

Speaking of which, ever since Holliday was signed, I have said the time for the Cards to push to get a deal done with Albert is now. All today’s news does is reinforce that.

http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/jan/18/mondays-autograph-schedule-cardinals-winter-warm-/

I can’t speak to it,” Pujols said. “It’s a commitment the Cardinals organization will have to make.”

If it comes to that, it’s fine. That’s a decision they make,” Pujols said before sitting for a two-hour autograph session at the downtown Hyatt. “If it happens, I have to deal with it. I want to play baseball. If I have to, I can play somewhere else.”

He’s serious about wanting it,” La Russa said. “Out of respect, we’ll give him a serious discussion.”

What exactly don’t you understand, Brian………………………………..it would appear that there are a number of folks using tried and true pressure techniques to effect ownership. Apparently they are expressing an opinion on your topic. Ya think?

Tony won’t subject Shu to a Kennedy competition……….. but he thinks BD is going to let Edmond’s destroy his poster boy………..????????? Right………if thats not a rhetorical pressure move, what else is he thinking……… He’s trying to get that money spent. …….Sounds a little like Albert might have a little attitude………………I have told you why……..believe what you want.

“He still wants to finish his career as the Cardinal but will not negotiate a new contract during the season. “El Hombre” will be focused on baseball and wants no distractions. More from Pujols later this evening. ” (quote from article)

bb, I wasn’t firing at WC about DeWallet. Being totally honest, he didn’t even cross my mind. To me that term represents a much broader community of “the sky is falling” (or should I say “the sky will be falling” individuals) that I have seen all over the net for at least the last ten or 15 years. It began back when the team was first sold and these people were sure the club would be sold again after five years. That was a decade ago. Many of WC’s ideas about ownership are more out there and to be honest, I often don’t even understand them, so I let them pass as interesting discussion fodder for some.

I am a big bottom line guy and seeing nine winning seasons and seven playoff appearances over the last decade, I give credit to ownership for having done a good job.

Mo signed lohse during mid-march, when lohse first became a cardinal. there were questions about pineiro’s readiness for the opening week and beyond, and a depth of rotation concern for the season. those late budget $ were very well spent on lohse, for much less than he was asking earlier that offseason.

with Mo’s late acquisition track record, and the orgs willingness to spend $ in 09 before the deadline, i’ll be content with sitting back and letting the FO do their job, as they see fit.

Good point that Mo’s comment could be a ‘sink or swim time’ message to some Memphis guys.

The ‘DeWallet’ crowd is reeling from their worldview being crushed by the MH signing. My guess is once the season gets under way it will be the same thing all over again regarding Albert. It is important to remember that they might be right next time. Just because Westy and others who shared his views about BDW were tripped up on the MH thing doesn’t mean that BDW is now willing to sacrifice profit for…anything. Just as shifting economic and market conditions probably subdued the big spenders and made it possible for the Cards to snag MH, those same shifting conditions might end up conspiring against us. All that has to happen is for the signing of Albert to project out as a bigger hit to the bottom line than not signing him, and it is really quite impossible to know how that will play out. So I would consider positions on one side of that issue as legit as those on the other.