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Albert Pujols is reportedly heading back to the St. Louis Cardinals on 1-year deal

cigaretteman

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May 29, 2001
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It's going to suck that the NL will no longer be playing real baseball anymore:

Albert Pujols is returning to St. Louis after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, according to published reports.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which first reported the agreement late Sunday night, said the contract with the 42-year-old slugger — who is 21 home runs shy of 700 for his career — was pending a physical.

The deal brings Pujols back to where he began his major league career, becoming one of the game’s most powerful and dangerous all-around hitters. The NL Rookie of the Year in 2001 spent his first 11 years in St. Louis, helping the Cardinals win the World Series in 2009 and 2011. He hit at least .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of his first 10 seasons in St. Louis.

A wildly popular player in St. Louis, his last game for the Cardinals was the team’s Game 7 win over Texas in the 2011 World Series.

Pujols was selected the NL MVP three times and made nine All-Star teams with the Cardinals before signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012. He was waived by the Angels last May and signed with the Dodgers, for whom he hit 12 homers and drove in 38 runs in 85 games.

Back with the Cardinals, Pujols could help serve as the team’s designated hitter with the National League now adopting the rule that had long been in place in the American League.

 
It will be very interesting to see El Hombre back in the dugout with his buddies Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, 2 holdovers from their last World Series championship in 2011. If nothing else, Albert will be a very good influence on the young up and coming players.
 
Important to remember that roster are at 28 the first month before reverting back in May to 26.

It is easier to keep an aging hitter with no versatility on your bench with a a couple extra spots. If he doesn't hit early he may not be around long.
 
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It's going to suck that the NL will no longer be playing real baseball anymore:

Albert Pujols is returning to St. Louis after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, according to published reports.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which first reported the agreement late Sunday night, said the contract with the 42-year-old slugger — who is 21 home runs shy of 700 for his career — was pending a physical.

The deal brings Pujols back to where he began his major league career, becoming one of the game’s most powerful and dangerous all-around hitters. The NL Rookie of the Year in 2001 spent his first 11 years in St. Louis, helping the Cardinals win the World Series in 2009 and 2011. He hit at least .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of his first 10 seasons in St. Louis.

A wildly popular player in St. Louis, his last game for the Cardinals was the team’s Game 7 win over Texas in the 2011 World Series.

Pujols was selected the NL MVP three times and made nine All-Star teams with the Cardinals before signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012. He was waived by the Angels last May and signed with the Dodgers, for whom he hit 12 homers and drove in 38 runs in 85 games.

Back with the Cardinals, Pujols could help serve as the team’s designated hitter with the National League now adopting the rule that had long been in place in the American League.

DH=stupid
Pujols to Cardinals=stupid
 
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Important to remember that roster are at 28 the first month before reverting back in May to 26.

It is easier to keep an aging hitter with no versatility on your bench with a a couple extra spots. If he doesn't hit early he may not be around long.
If he doesn't hit well as the DH he can be quietly demoted to the last option pinch hitter and gets to retire and go into the HOF as a Cardinal.
 
They apparently aren't convinced any of their younger internal options will work as well. He wasn't horrible last year as a Dodger, but I suspect he also won't have nearly as much protection in StL's lineup either.

My thinking is this will be a huge attendance boost, which sounds funny to say about StL but I bet that was figured into this. Last year was of course Covid attendance affected, but StL still struggled (for them) after full attendance was granted.

I've always thought it was the right decision for him to sign that large of a contract and leave StL, but it was a terrible decision to do so with the Angels as well as an AL team in general. Who knows, maybe being in the NL he can be a reasonably viable hitter one last time.
 
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I don't mind this signing since it is just a one year deal and allows him to retire a Cardinal. Who knows maybe he can have a decent year with the Waino, Yadi and Pujols farewell tour.

For development, I would rather see Yepez get the at bats but I understand the nostalgia part of it and the promotional opportunities it gives the team. Hopefully they can tell early on whether he has anything left and adjust playing time accordingly.
 
if he hits his dodger stat line, its not terrible. not great but not going to cost you the division
 
I don't mind this signing since it is just a one year deal and allows him to retire a Cardinal. Who knows maybe he can have a decent year with the Waino, Yadi and Pujols farewell tour.

For development, I would rather see Yepez get the at bats but I understand the nostalgia part of it and the promotional opportunities it gives the team. Hopefully they can tell early on whether he has anything left and adjust playing time accordingly.
This. He'll likely only hit against lefties and help sell a lot of tickets. As usual Cards starting out with pitching injury problems. Just need some sinkerball pitchers and let the best defense in baseball do their thing. 5 gold glovers is unprecedented...
 
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As a Cardinals fan who spent way too much money a few years ago when he finally came back to Busch for the first time since leaving, I approve of this for the feels alone.
 
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As a Cardinals fan who spent way too much money a few years ago when he finally came back to Busch for the first time since leaving, I approve of this for the feels alone.
Post here when you are watching a 42 ;) year old guy look really bad at the plate, or rupture something trying to run the bases.
 
He put up very good numbers last year against LHP and there's no good reason to think he can't do that again this year. I was heartbroken when he left but hindsight being 20/20 I'm glad I didn't have to watch the decline in his skills.
 
As a Cub fan I’m torn because the old bastard will probably bat .500 against us this year
My one and only visit to Wrigley was the last game of the year vs the Cards and Pujols hit a grand slam. The Cubs fans were not at all surprised and just shrugged their shoulders and nodded into their Old Styles.
 
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He hasn’t sucked so far. If he stays healthy he’s only 33 or so homers behind Babe Ruth on the all time list.
 
I'm a Cubs fan and I still hope he has a good year...just not at Wrigley.
 
Passed Willie Mays for most multi homer games and Musial for total bases. Had he never left St. Louis he might have hit 800 homers in the mort competitive environment that doesn't exist in LA. Mike Trout? I've never seen him play...hardly.

Trout will be out of baseball within five years. He’s too fragile.
 
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