Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesAlbert Pujols will return for a 22nd MLB season after agreeing to a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.
The veteran played his first 11 seasons in St. Louis, winning three Most Valuable Player awards and two World Series titles.
The first day of the last season of one of the most remarkable is today, and there was initially some confusion about Pujols' status beyond last year.
The Athletic reported that Pujols hadn't made a final decision about his future.
The Los Angeles Angels designated him for assignment in May, which caused his 2021 season to take an unexpected detour. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers a few weeks later.
Pujols had 17 home runs and 50RBI in109 appearances for the two teams.
One of the greatest first basemen of all time, the42-year-old, is a first baseman and is a Hall of Famer.
The Angels might have moved on from Pujols earlier if it wasn't for his large salary. He passed Willie Mays for the fifth time in 2020.
Pujols isn't someone you want in your lineup on a daily basis. He has finished with a negative WAR in each of the past five seasons.
The power that the 10-time All-Star has has come at the cost of his contact.
In 39 games in 2020, he posted career lows in batting average and on- base percentage.
Ryan Howard might be helpful in the Pujols situation.
At the end of the 2016 season, the Philadelphia Phillies ate $10 million to decline their $23 million option. The $125 million five-year extension on Philadelphia's payroll was made by Howard because of his diminishing skills.
It was all over for Howard when he left thePhillies. He signed minor league contracts with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies but did not play in an MLB game.
The Dodgers gave Pujols another chance, but the financial outlay was small since he took a league minimum and received his money from the Angels.
After losing in the NL Wild Card Game a year ago, St. Louis still thought enough of the superstar to give him a new deal.
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