Albert Pujols is ending his career with the St. Louis Carndinals. The heavyweight hitter has just signed a $250 million 10-year contract to play with the Los Angeles Angels.
The deal hasn’t officially been announced yet but several sources are reporting that the contract was signed this morning. According to USA Today , the contract will be finalized as soon as Pujols passes his physical.
Pujols’ $250 million contract is the third largest in baseball history. Alex Rodriguez was given the two largest contracts in the history of the MLB. Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers in 2000 for $252 million. He then signed with the New York Yankees in 2007 for $275 million.
Team managers from around the league are already sounding off on the new deal.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said:
“Congratulations to Anaheim. It just makes it that much more difficult for everyone in our division. When you hear the dollars and the years, you have to listen. It’s a tremendous deal for him. … Anaheim fans should be happy today.”
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos said:
“Obviously, he’s a very talented player. Anaheim has always been a very good club and they’re going to continue to have one of the better teams in the AL.”
Angels outfielder Vernon Wells tweeted:
“I love this game. We have the Machine!!”
According to USA Today, the Angels ranked 10th in the American League for runs last season. Pujols should add a nice punch to their offensive lineup. During Pujols first 11 seasons he had 445 home runs with a .328 batting average and a .420 on-base percentage. Pujols won the National league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2001, its MVP in 2005, 2008, and 2009, and helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and 2011.
With Pujols on the roster, the Cardinals made the playoffs 7 times in 11 years. Will Albert Pujols be able to give the Angels the same results?