Albert Pujols, unlike Derek Jeter, hot to free agency

ST. LOUIS

What Derek Jeter means to the Yankees and the Bronx, Albert Pujols does to the Cardinals and this heartland city. Iconic players, their Hall of Fame plaques secured while still in their prime, the two men are identified as much by their franchises as by their superstar-level production.

Yet as Pujols took his seat at a World Series interview table Tuesday in Busch Stadium, one contrast became obvious.

Unlike his New York counterpart, Pujols has excellent timing when it comes to free agency.

Jeter entered the open market last year, at age 36, with a career-worst season and a quiet October on his resume, and that contributed heavily to the acrimony with his employers before they landed on common ground.

Pujols, 31, also produced a career-worst campaign in 2011, his walk year, but that's where the plot changed: His late surge helped the Cardinals mount a remarkable comeback, clinching a playoff spot. And his strong October has pushed his club into a most unexpected appearance, against the favored Texas Rangers, in this Fall Classic.

Now this World Series is Pujols' for the taking, and with it comes the Hot Stove League.

"I don't want to picture him in another uniform," Chris Carpenter, who will start Game 1 Wednesday night for the Cardinals, said of Pujols. "Can you? Of course, because that's the name of the game nowadays. You never know what could happen."

"At the end of the season, as I told you guys, things are going to be taken care of," Pujols said. "For me, my main job and my focus right now is that I continue to help this ballclub to bring the World Series back to the city of St. Louis. That's my main goal."

That's wonderful for the Cardinals and their fans, yet when he reported to spring training in February, Pujols imposed a moratorium on negotiations for a contract extension. St. Louis' qualification for the World Series essentially eliminates whatever tiny chance existed for a pre-free agency deal, as the open market begins six days after this series' conclusion.

Will Pujols, indisputably the game's best player the past 11 seasons, top Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $275-million contract with the Yankees? Highly unlikely. How about A-Rod's annual average value of $27.5 million? Maybe, but not a strong bet.

Will he get the largest contract this winter among a free-agent class featuring Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes and (probably) CC Sabathia? That's a pretty good bet.

His career-low numbers -- the .366 on-base percentage and .541 slugging percentage -- reflect his poor start. Through May 31, he tallied a very ordinary .336 OBP and .419 SLG.

"He had a lot of distractions this year," Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire said. "Human nature is, it's hard. It's hard to put those distractions away." Free agency, McGwire said, was one of those "distractions."

The Pujols of old emerged shortly before and then after he missed two-plus weeks with a left wrist injury. In these playoffs, he has a .490 OBP and .721 SLG, with two homers and seven doubles in 49 plate appearances.

"I can't tell you what a privilege it is to watch this guy for 11 years, the way he plays the game and the way he is off the field," Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa said.

Good luck finding someone in this baseball-mad city who doesn't agree. Who doesn't want Pujols and the Cardinals to renew this wildly successful relationship?

With the baseball world watching, here comes Pujols' chance to further elevate his already rising stock. It's an opportunity that Jeter, suffering a rare touch of bad luck, didn't enjoy.