Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols will become a free agent after the 2011 season and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports writes that manager Tony La Russa holds the key to his future. Pujols will be more likely to leave St. Louis if La Russa is no longer managing the team. "I hope he can continue to be my manager for the rest of my career," Pujols said. "But that's not my job, and I don't make those decisions. I think this city should be appreciative of the things he has accomplished in his 15 years as manager in this organization. Hopefully, he'll be here next year and for the rest of my career." La Russa's contract ends after the 2010 season. "He cares about winning, and he cares about this organization," Pujols said. "That's something he has shown since the moment I got to the big leagues ? to be able to help us players, young players, and give us trust and let us play. That's something you need to appreciate from your manager."