According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have offered free agent outfielder Matt Holliday an 8-year contract that is worth “around $16 million a season”.  This would equal to a total package that is approximately $128 million.  St. Louis Cardinal’s General Manager John Mozeliak said, “He’s (Holliday is) still a player we like very much and hope to retain”.  Sources familiar with Holliday feel like he can make a decision by Christmas.

This contract offer to Holliday is much larger than the seven-year, $100 million contract that Albert Pujols signed in 2003.  Agent Scott Boras has been known to add provisions within his star client’s contract such a no-trade clause (something that Holliday wants) and an opt-out clause that will allow a player to get out of the contract after a set number of years.  A no-trade clause can maximize an opt-out leverage since it may bully a team into a corner in the event the player wants to renegotiate their contract.  If the team decides to not pay into the player’s demands, the player can pack up their bags and leave once their opt-out time vests.  The team getting nothing in return.