Are Pujols-Cards fault lines hardening?

Per St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Strauss' latest take on the St. Louis Cardinals' contract talks with Albert Pujols, I'd give a qualified "yes" answer to that question.

And, though Strauss has given a kind of a pass to management in the past, if one looks honestly at what he writes, it doesn't deserve it:

(Cardinals CEO Bill) DeWitt underscored during December's winter meetings in Orlando, Fla., that all organizations "have limits." DeWitt also maintained during this month's appearance that the club was willing to wait until after the season, if necessary, to retain its signature player. ...

The Cardinals previously have characterized Pujols' situation as "independent" of recent contracts that have redefined the game's financial landscape. General manager John Mozeliak noted in May that the club was committed to paying for future, rather than past, production.

Jeff Gordon, in another column, then says, in another piece, that DeWitt can financially afford to let Pujols walk, mentioning the team has drawn at least 2.4 million a year for 15 years straight. (Corrected from originally identifying this as another Strauss column.)

Yes, but ....

Let's say it falls back to 2.4 million instead of 3.2 million, Joe. 800K fans at about $20 a ticket, plus an average of $5 of auxiliary spending on concessions, etc.? (And, those are all surely lowball numbers right there.)

That's $20 million a year. And, Pujols wants just $15 million a year more than he's making now. Add in the possibility of fewer postseason appearances, etc. Even if we factor out business taxes, etc., Joe, the Cards might just lose money by not meeting Pujols' terms.

And, so, to follow up on Jayson Stark's latest musings, I seriously doubt DeWitt will make Pujols a $300 million man with a 10/$30 contract.

Now, per the idea that DeWitt just wants to pay for current performance, what if Dan Lozano countered with a call for a three-year contract for $100M? DeWitt would have to put up or shut up for sure, then.