The Los Angeles Angels cut ties with future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols on Thursday, barely two months into the final season of his contract, ending a near-decade run in Southern California.
The Angels officially designated 41-year-old Pujols for assignment, a formality before he becomes a free agent for the second time in his 21-year career. Pujols is expected to be released as soon as he clears waivers in three days.
Pujols was batting .198 with a .250 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage through his first 92 plate appearances and didn’t have a clear path for playing time with first baseman Jared Walsh performing well and Shohei Ohtani absorbing the vast majority of the at-bats at designated hitter.
All indications are that Pujols wants to keep playing, though it remains to be seen what type of opportunities he will have with the DH not a factor in the National League. One potential landing spot could be the Chicago White Sox, managed by Tony La Russa, who still reveres Pujols so much that he intentionally walked him in a big spot earlier this season. The White Sox have been decimated by injuries but they don’t currently have an opening with Yermin Mercedes performing so well at DH.
In a statement, Angels owner Arte Moreno, who originally signed Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract in December 2011, wrote that the team was “honored that he has worn an Angels jersey for nearly half of his Hall of Fame career.”
“Albert’s historical accomplishments, both on and off the field, serve as an inspiration to athletes everywhere, and his actions define what it means to be a true Superstar,” Moreno’s statement said. “Since his Rookie of the Year Season in 2001, Albert and his wife Deidre have generously given their time and resources to countless charities throughout the world. We are thankful to the entire Pujols Family.”
Pujols, who is making $30 million this season, ranks sixth in career home runs (667), third in RBIs (2,112) and 14th in hits (3,253). He has won three NL MVP Awards, two Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers and has been invited to 10 All-Star Games.
His first decade with the St. Louis Cardinals — consisting of a .331/.426/.624 slash line, 408 home runs and 1,230 RBIs — stands as arguably the greatest 10-year run in baseball history. In Year 11, he finished fifth in NL MVP voting and won his second World Series ring.
But his prime didn’t really make it to Anaheim. Pujols began his Angels career with a mystifying drought of 27 games without a home run. He recovered to post a highly productive season in 2012, then had his 2013 season cut short by plantar fasciitis and wasn’t necessarily the same thereafter.
Pujols averaged 30 home runs and 105 RBIs from 2014 to 2017, but his slash line dropped to .257/.310/.448. From 2018 to 2021, he batted .239/.290/.414 and was worth a total of negative-0.1 Baseball-Reference wins above replacement.
Pujols’ deal with the Angels comes with a 10-year personal-services contract that will pay him an extra $1 million a year to basically serve as a public face for the organization — a role Pujols has previously expressed interest in pursuing after his playing career ends.
But he isn’t ready to declare the end just yet.