Report: Albert Pujols, Cardinals Unlikely to Reach Deal on Contract Extension Before Deadline

It is amazing how one player can determine the fate of an entire organization.

That's the situation the St. Louis Cardinals find themselves in, with Albert Pujols unlikely to sign a contract extension before the deadline Pujols and his agent set, according to SI.com.

The Cardinals' star player set Feb. 16, the day he reports to spring camp, as the deadline to reach a deal with his former team. Pujols is looking for a contract similar to the 10-year, $275 million deal the Yankees struck with Alex Rodriguez, but the Cardinals aren’t on the same page.

Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt explained back in November that Pujols' age (31) would make a ten-year deal a big risk, since no one can predict how well Pujols will play as he gets older. He said a six-year contract is more plausible. The two parties now have one week to come to an agreement.

Extending Pujols' contract has more riding on it than the loss of a star player –- it will also determine what moves the Cards have to make in the offseason, as well as how much money they can spend now.

If they end up re-signing Pujols, St. Louis will have obviously have to find a way to make due with fewer financial assets. Obviously, if Pujols does not rejoin the team, there will be more money to spend, but Pujols should be the priority.

Until next week, however, the future of the Cardinals is one big question mark.