Memo to Cardinal fans. Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay.

Albert Pujols apparently stirred some controversy this week when he said that he wasn't concerned about a contract extension with St. Louis. There are also questions about his troubled elbow.

St. Louis media are also upset that Albert wouldn't talk to them following the division playoffs.

For what it's worth, here's my take on Pujols' situation.

He has one full year left on his contact and an elbow condition that may be more serious that people realize. His health is more important to him now than his contract.

Albert had a rough postseason. The Dodgers wouldn't pitch to him. When they did pitch to him, maybe he tried too hard. That's human nature. Albert is still human.

And maybe his frustration reached its peak once the Cardinal season ended. He wanted to escape the writers, teammates etc. and deal with the frustration

I think people should allow the guy some slack and rest.