Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has opened up about the team's negotiations with Albert Pujols on a contract extension. "They're working to get it set," said La Russa, who insists rumors won't trip up the Cardinals. "Fingers crossed. In the meantime, we've got a really good club, and he's a part of it -- and we've got to get ready. I keep hearing this thing about distractions. You allow yourself to get distracted. We're not going to allow ourselves to get distracted -- which means you're going to get a lot of non-answers. Hopefully the players will do the same. It's not what we're here for." Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, has notified the Cardinals that if a deal is not reached before Pujols arrives at Spring Training, negotiations will cease until after the season. The slugger is slated to arrive at camp on Wednesday, meaning that the window for a deal has become extremely narrow.