Dallas, TX – Now that's a way to close the Winter Meetings.
Albert Pujols shocked the baseball world on Thursday by agreeing to a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Final details aren't known, but the money is expected to be between $250-260 million, and the deal is also expected to include a full no-trade clause.
Wow.
The Angels had been lurking all along, but most just assumed that it was a two-team race between the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. Even more felt it was a fait accompli that he would return to St. Louis when Miami refused to give him a no-trade clause through the first five years.
But some people were skeptical of the reports that the Cardinals had, in fact, gone to 10 years. And let's be honest -- if they had, what was all the fuss? If that were the case, this deal would have been locked up a couple of days ago.
I guess it doesn't seem all that crazy now as you start to put the pieces together. But I'll tell you what, Pujols is going to look real bad in this if the Cards did in fact offer that 10-year, $220 million deal that was out there.
The best part of the story was that while Yahoo's Tim Brown was breaking the story, most of the media room was at the meaningless Rule 5 Draft down the hall. Nice timing.
So there you go.
Pujols now joins a team that already has two first basemen and about five others who are designated hitter types. You have to think teams will be calling on last year's rookie phenom, Mark Trumbo, as well as Kendrys Morales.
Give the Angels credit. They missed out on almost everyone last winter. They weren't going to let that happen again, and made another big move by signing C.J. Wilson to a deal worth a reported $77.5 million over five years.
Even without Wilson, though, they will owe the trio of Pujols, Vernon Wells and Jered Weaver at least $72 million.
As for Pujols. Well, his legacy takes a hit. You always think more of players who stay in one place rather than those who move on, especially those who do it for money. Plus, St. Louis is one of those special franchises where it just means more to stay there your whole career.
He'll never be mentioned alongside Stan Musial again, that's for sure.
Alright I have a flight to catch.