Here are the two arguments I’ve heard the last couple of days regarding the Albert Pujols negotiations:

1) You can’t afford to let a player of this magnitude walk away, it could decimate the franchise.

2) You can’t pay a soon-to-be 32 year-old man a high salary for 10 years, it could prevent the team from being competitive in future seasons.

Why the extremes?

Isn’t it possible to let a superstar player go and replace him with other players?

Isn’t it possible to have an aging, overpaid first baseman and still contend?

Where is the patience? Why are people in such a rush to determine RIGHT NOW how a situation will play out over a 5-10 year period?

To me, people are just looking for reasons to be angry. It’s a means of venting frustration, perhaps related to other parts of their lives, but it is unnecessary.

How about this novel idea: we wait until something ACTUALLY GOES WRONG before we get ticked off about it. Is that such a crazy idea?

Back in July and August, when many people were routinely calling into Sports Open Line to rant and rave about the Cardinals being “done,” my response was always the same. Let’s wait until the season is over, take everything into account and then come to some kind of conclusion as to who deserves credit and/or blame for what.

Turns out a whole hell of a lot of people could have saved themselves some headaches, huh?

If the Cardinals let Albert leave we cannot possibly know how things will play out. Perhaps Allen Craig emerges as a player (once he’s healthy). Maybe Matt Adams is a legitimate Major League power hitter. The Cards could find themselves attractive trade partners, flush with cash from the savings after letting Albert leave, and wind up landing a megastar that way. The Detroit Tigers landed Miguel Cabrera for a couple of high end prospects so why is it so hard to allow for the possibility that the Cards might be able to do the same thing somewhere in the not-too-distant future?

And just maybe it all goes to hell.

If they were to sign Albert to a 10-year deal, a mortal sin to hear some tell it, perhaps he will fade dramatically in the final 4-5 seasons. But maybe right alongside that guys like Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, Kolten Wong and/or Oscar Taveras (or others yet to be signed or drafted) come along and provide production at a low cost early in their careers. Maybe Taveras turns into the next “Big Thing” as an elite OF bat and his low cost production offsets the diminished returns the team would be getting from Albert in this scenario.

And just maybe it all goes to hell.

If they end up signing Albert to the “perfect deal” – you know, the one at just the right length for just the right dollar amount (whatever those numbers may be) – it doesn’t guarantee baseball paradise either. The team could do this just right and still see Albert suffer a debilitating injury of some kind, or just decline consistently in the coming years.

And just maybe it all goes to hell.

The problem is that nobody can know what the future holds. Whether the Cardinals sign Albert or not – whether they overpay or not – things can go very, very well or they can go very, very badly.

You would think that the 2011 season would have taught people a lesson: let things play out before you come to any harsh conclusions.

Look, I’m not predicting things will be puppies, sunshine and rainbows for the Cardinals. I’m just saying things could go either way, with or without Pujols, and regardless of how much money they give him or for how many years.

I’m simply asking that everyone let things happen BEFORE offering judgments. You can like or dislike any deal, I’m not challenging anyone on that. I’m just asking people to be reasonable, to be measured in their responses to these kinds of things.

Unless you can prove to me that you can see 5-10 years into the future, please try to avoid overreacting to the results of these negotiations.

By the way, if you can see the future would you mind passing me some winning lottery numbers?

Thanks!