As LaRussa said, they'll use it as a precedent to decide future salary demands. They have a vested interest in making sure that the best player in the world gets paid like it, basically This contract shouldn't determine anything with future contracts, because there isn't a single player in baseball on Pujols' level. No one can use what he gets as a bargaining chip because no one is better than he is. The Werth contract? Sure, no question. Pujols? Really? No, but it can be used as a bargaining chip by teams towards lesser players if he takes a significant hometown discount.