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Jamie Squire/Getty Images The World Series champion Cardinals will be without Manager Tony La Russa, left, and Albert Pujols next season. By TYLER KEPNER Published: December 8, 2011 |
DALLAS — The Los Angeles Angels rattled the baseball world on Thursday by reaching agreement on a 10-year contract with Albert Pujols, the premier player in the game.
Pujols has spent his 11-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, leading them to World Series titles in 2006 and this season. He is a three-time National League most valuable player with a .328 career average — the best among active players — and 445 home runs.
“It’s certainly very interesting now, and a positive move for the Angels,” said Jack Zduriencik, the general manager of the Seattle Mariners, an American League West rival. “I feel bad for the St. Louis fans who have been such loyal fans and have grown up with this guy.”
Various reports said the Angels would pay Pujols at least $250 million in the new deal, which was not their only move of the morning. The agent for pitcher C.J. Wilson told ESPN that his client had signed with the Angels for five years and $77.5 million. Jerry DiPoto, the Angels’ general manager, has a news conference scheduled here for late Thursday morning.
The Angels reached the playoffs six times in eight seasons before falling behind the division-champion Texas Rangers the last two years. Their slide was marked by near-misses on several free agents, including Mark Teixeira and Carl Crawford.
Early this week, as Pujols negotiated seriously with the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins, the Angels were mentioned as a so-called mystery team, but not portrayed as a serious contender. The Marlins dropped out on Wednesday, and Pujols’s side seemed to be working on details of the Cardinals’ latest proposal, which was said to be an improvement from their nine-year, $198 million offer in January.
News of the Angels’ agreement circulated through the winter meetings hotel, the Hilton Anatole, at about 9 a.m. local time, during the Rule 5 draft. Officials from all teams — from presidents and general managers on down — were gathered in a ballroom to choose minor league players. The Cardinals’ contingent had come without General Manager John Mozeliak, and expected to meet him back in their suite.
But Mozeliakleft the hotel for the airport without telling his staff or speaking to reporters.
“It’s a significant deal,” said Walt Jocketty, the Cincinnati Reds’ general manager and Mozeliak’s predecessor in St. Louis. “I’ll miss seeing him, but we won’t miss facing him. If Albert’s not the best hitter in the game today, I don’t know who is. He’ll go down in history as one of the best hitters of all-time.
“This probably makes sense, with the length of the contract, that he’s going to the American League,” Jocketty added. “He can play first base, and maybe at some point do some D.H.ing.”
The Rangers held Pujols to a .240 average in the World Series, but they gave up three homers to him in Game 3 and intentionally walked him five times in their seven-game loss. Thad Levine, the Rangers’ assistant general manager, said he did not expect Pujols to go to the Angels, who seemed to be well-covered at first base and designated hitter.
The incumbent Angels’ first baseman, Mark Trumbo, just finished second in the voting for American League rookie of the year. Trumbo’s predecessor, Kendrys Morales, has missed a year and a half with a significant leg injury, but is expected back. And Bobby Abreu should see time at designated hitter.
“Lo and behold, they added another guy you could view as a tick above those players,” Levine said.
The Rangers could counter by signing the other premier free agent first baseman, Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder, although Levine said, “We’re not a group that’s reactive.”
Zduriencik, who brought Fielder into professional baseball when he worked for the Brewers, also said he would not feel more pressure to pursue Fielder. “I think all these deals are deals that have their own individuality to them,” Zduriencik said. “Anaheim fans should be happy.”
And while the Cardinals could also pursue Fielder, or perhaps shortstop Jimmy Rollins from the Philadelphia Phillies, their fans will be saddened.
“I don’t know if it’s necessarily bad for the game,” Jocketty said. “It’s a good question. I would say it’s bad in the sense that a player of that stature didn’t take the opportunity to play for the same team his entire career. On the other hand, it’s the way the game is today.”
Sandy Alderson, the Mets’ general manager, said he was happy to see Pujols leave the National League. He did not spend much time pondering Pujols’s destination — the Mets did not pursue him — but he was not surprised by his departure from St. Louis.
“Nothing surprises me,” Alderson said. “I would have thought he might go back, but when money starts getting thrown around, anything can happen.”
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