JUPITER, Fla. • Amid weeks of speculation, rumor and occasional false hope, unyielding truth now confronts the Cardinals in their quest to sign first baseman Albert Pujols to a massive contract extension:

Today offers the final 24-hour period for a deal to be struck.

The Cardinals obtained 12 more hours of wiggle room when general manager John Mozeliak and Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, agreed to put off tonight's hard deadline regarding talks to 11 a.m. Wednesday (St. Louis time). The move was made out of deference to today's White House presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hall of Famer Stan Musial. There is little indication that the move represents anything more than a courtesy to The Man.

Today "is a very big day for Stan Musial," Mozeliak said Monday morning as Cardinals pitchers and catchers went through their first official workout of spring training. "It wouldn't make any sense to have a large distraction on that special day given the amount of respect we have for that man. It only made sense that we didn't have a whole lot of things going on given the events (today) in Washington."

Team Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., was among Monday's traveling party to Washington. Mozeliak said he remains in "regular" contact with Lozano but declined to say whether he planned to make a modified proposal before the deadline.

"I don't want to sit here and lead people on or characterize something one way or the other," Mozeliak said. "Our approach has been pretty consistent since Day 1, and that's to allow this to be done in a confidential state.

"Given that we're only 48 hours away from the deadline, I'll remain that way."

The approaching deadline has caused nothing less than consternation among a significant percentage of the team's fan base. A process many, including Pujols, believed would be addressed last winter now threatens to extend through the season and is almost certain to reach free agency.

Should Pujols and Lozano enforce a stoppage of talks, the Cardinals' next opportunity to retain their three-time NL Most Valuable Player would come during a five-day window immediately after the World Series. At that point Pujols would appear committed to entering the market, which would then be shaped by multiple clubs.

The deadline looms after Pujols declined an initial proposal earlier this month. Described by a source familiar with talks as "nowhere close" to an agreement almost two weeks ago, the process has labored for traction.

Mozeliak declined to comment on reports of the team's rejected bid, saying, "Obviously, there's been some news breaking on this, or at least some headlines. And in fairness and in respect to the process, we're just not going to comment on that. Obviously at some point we will discuss the whole process. But given the timing of everything, we will just remain quiet at this time."

The Cardinals are expected to address the situation Wednesday afternoon. Pujols' arrival — previously expected to be Wednesday — may now be delayed until Thursday.

A heavy national media presence is expected to build today. An ESPN crew reached camp Monday morning and national scribes are expected to make Roger Dean Stadium one of their first stops on their spring circuit. Manager Tony La Russa, who addressed the matter at length Sunday, received a heavy dose of Pujols-related questions before Monday's workout.

Except for La Russa's 45-minute media session Sunday, the club has declined to address even the most benign inquiries about talks with Pujols. Mozeliak declined to counter published reports citing sources close to the talks. "I suspect there's a lot of people that have opinions on this, and all of you gentlemen have found ways to get that out of them. Congratulations on that," he quipped.

Mozeliak, point man for talks with Lozano, insisted he is not frustrated with the pace or tone of talks. He recognized the significance of Wednesday's deadline while noting that nine months remain before the opening of the next free agent market. DeWitt previously has hinted that the club may attempt to extend negotiations beyond what has been portrayed as a fixed deadline. However, DeWitt has declined to comment on talks since arriving at his Florida residence late last month.

"It's a process and obviously it's an iconic player and I think when you experience going through this you learn a lot. But frustration isn't coming to mind," he said.