The Angels announced Wednesday that Albert Pujols will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing an arthroscopic debridement of his left knee. The procedure comes with a recovery timetable of six to eight weeks, per the announcement.
It’s the latest in a long line of injuries for Pujols, who at 38 looks like a shell of his former self. While he’s still hit with some power in recent seasons and rarely strikes out, he’s posted a combined .243/.287/.397 slash with 42 homers in 1134 plate appearances dating back to Opening Day 2017.
Pujols is in the seventh season of a mammoth 10-year, $240MM contract that calls for him to earn $28MM in 2019, $29MM in 2020 and $30MM in 2021. In addition to the remaining $87MM in guaranteed money beyond the current campaign, he also earned a $3MM bonus upon reaching 3,000 hits earlier this season.
TJS on his knee
Byeeeeeeeeeeeee
he usually waits till xmas to take care of this stuff causing him a late start on spring training. better now than then.
As a Angel fan all I can say is LOL at this point
As another angel fan I dont see a reason to “LOL” .. I can however “SMH”
Yeah, as an Angels fan why would you laugh? The team is clearly out of it and if you want any return on his $28 million for next year it’s better he gets the surgery now.
The gift that keeps on giving.
Money well spent……
He does have a positive WAR this year and better numbers than Chris Davis….
He finished this season with a -0.2 fWAR
bWar better
It would be really cool if we could restructure his deal to basically stretch out payments. He earned the contract and we can’t take that back but I think he would admit to not living up to it… at least ease up on the annual expenditure.
That being said, if Trout decides to go, I guess I’d rather be done with it in 2021
Like Mo Vaughn
It worked Bobby Bonilla.
No Mo Vaughn Was And over the hill overrated first baseman who was overpaid in a shell of his former self and Albert Pujols oh never mind
I’m not sure that it would matter much if we’re being honest. The AAV is going to kill the angels no matter what if Arty decides he wants to tip toe it again. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say he doesn’t really have any intention to topple the threshold. If the angels were a small market team nowhere close to it then yes it might make some sense, but under the CBA and his AAV remaining the same seems as though they should just bite the bullet and eat the mistake.
Dude have some fricken dignity and retire…..Jesus s Christ
Why would he give up 90MM? Angels should just release him
Would you walk away from that money?
Mom’s calling you upstairs for dinner.
Don’t forget to take out the garbage.
He will not give it up.. He took a giant on his legacy for that respect/contract. King Angel is stubborn by nature.
Why don’t you buy a dictionary!
This is good news for us angel fans. This now allows ohtani to dh full time the rest if the year and get reps in (plus he’s a better hitter anyway). Now eppler just needs to let go of marte via a waiver claim and call up thaiss to get in reps the rest of the way to prep for next year
Thaiss will be called up. Ohtani will most likely pitch again this season. Marte is cheap and the only right handed bat off the bench. So it’s unlikely he will be released.
Only RH bat off the bench? Cowart says “hi”, since as a switch-hitter he can certainly function as a RH hitter. Not a GOOD one, but it’s not like Marte set the bar so high. Like Marte, Cowart is also capable of playing passable 1B, though it is a waste of Cowart’s arm to put him there.
Thaiss will most likely be called up next week when SLC season is over. Upton returns from DL, Pujols replaces him, and all roster spots are taken.
Speaking of SLC, Blash is a beast playing for the Bees. Damn shame none of that translates to MLB, since the Angels could have used that MiLB bat the times he was called up.
Cowarts numbers are worse vs left handed pitching than Ohtani numbers. Cowart should be nothing but a late inning defensive replacement. Marte is far from even league average, but Cowart can’t even hit 150.
Clean house and scioscia too new blood I really will owner would sell total overhauling
The high must have hit after “too”.
that’s perfect and funny
Since the team is building up Ohtani’s pitch count and level of output on the mound, he figures to go back to not hitting the games he pitches, as well as the game before and after.
And he’ll continue to sit against LH SP.
So, no, not a full-time DH at this point.
Rule #1 of signing free agents never pay them for what they did in the past pay them for what they will do in the future.
How is that determined?
I’d start with the ages of the player that the contract guarantees to pay him.
Projections. This is why every team spends big money on analytics.
So you mean you’ll never sign a premium free agent again?
L-O-L at giving him bonus money for anything..
Which contract was worse for the angels? This or Hamilton?
I guess pujols gave them a few ok years before old age set in. JHam they unloaded on Texas but at a fraction if I recall. Might still be paying him?
Pujols only had some ok years if they were paying him a fraction of what they are.
One of the stupidest baseball contracts ever given in the history of MLB. I’m sorry but you don’t give a 31 year old player a 10 year contract, no matter how good they are. Because there is only a tiny chance that they are going to be as good towards the end of their contract….as they are making $30M a year in Pujol’s case. Just a very stupid contract given by whatever GM the Angels had 7 years ago.
The deal was made without the input of the GM at the time (Jerry Dipoto). But Dipoto did make a lot of stupid deals.
Wait a minute there’s been plenty of good players who have been better in the end of their career in the beginning Barry bonds Rafael Palmero, Roger ClemensMike Piazza Bartolo Colon Gary Scheffield oh uh Never mind again
Welcome to the steroid hall of fame!
Pujols first 8 out of 10 years were absolutely unbelievable and off the charts! However, he was becoming more injury prone, plus he’s running was hampered but bone spurs. Although I hated seeing him live St. Louis, I was glad the Cardinals were out bid by Los Angeles. The contract offered by the Cardinals was ridiculously too much. I could not believe that Angeles couldn’t for see that Albert’s injuries were chronic instead of temporary.
historically, the halos have a knack for overpaying; Mo Vaughn, Gary Matthews Jr, Josh Hamilton, CJ Wilson & Albert; and i’d argue Upton, too. most of those were on arte’s watch and his greed for another WS hampered smart decisions. so, trout is being wasted…he’ll enjoy winning in PHI when his contract is over. until then AP won’t walk away, no matter his performance. they’ll retire his #5 when brian downing brought more to that number. $87MM wasted, oh the things that could bring
I’d be surprised if LAA retires his number, he hasn’t done a whole lot to earn that
i won’t be, even though i think they shouldnt. collecting 3k hits, 500 & 600 HR in their uniform, probably some agreement that he go into HoF as an angel.
Absolutely no way he goes to the hall as an Angel. His 11 years in StL set the table for those milestones reached in LA
He should go in as an Angel. Art paid enough for that.
That’s part of his services contract when his playing contract ends. He is going in as an Angel.
I still love how the Angles basically paid the Rangers to take Hamilton back. That one never gets old.
I love the way Texas took him back after he disrespected his family and the game, when he was toxic to 29 other teams. That one never gets old.
Can’t forget Vernon Wells for Napoli and Juan Rivera, true the angels didn’t give him the contract but they sure paid for it.
This is the reality of many long term and back loaded contracts, very few clubs get their monies worth in full.
Pujols was a tremendous player once, maybe he and the Angels work it out, he is to proud to sit on a bench and PH only.
Every Ranger player the Angels signed as a free agent wasted LA money. Hamilton was signed to keep him out of a Ranger uniform. Matthews had one great year on steroids before LA signed him. I was just sure LA was going to sign Darvish. At least LAA dodged that bullet. As a Rangers’ fan I’m not at all sad at Arte’s disasters.
Don’t forget CJ Wilson.
You mean the guy who owns the car dealerships used to play baseball?
Remember when his wife was going off about how St. Louis disrespected him with their giant contract offer?
They equated size of contract with respect.
Good riddance
Arte, sign him to a 10 year extension, now!
2018 was merely a setback!
It’s really a shame he doesn’t produce anymore, I’ve always been a fan of his. A class act.
Okay, and?
Dude needs to be released in the offseason.
Albert Pujols really let himself become sloppy fat. None wants to watch him like this.
I think the days of 30 year olds getting 8+ year contracts are likely over. Miguel Cabrera will be the last. The next 2 seasons Det will pay Miggy and JZimm 56 mil and get almost nothing for it. Then Miggy makes 31 mil per for another 4-5 years after that.
I dont think he was 30 or even 31. Yahoo had an article last year where in an interview Pujols said he was same age as Vlad.
Three more years? Geez. Everyone knew the Angels would pay at the end of the deal but how many anticipated it along with many other deals having such an impact on future long term deals?
Not an Angels fan, but Blash has put up insane numbers. What about his game doesn’t translate to the MLB level?
He’s got a crazy long swing.
I think pujols should do the right thing and retire. Dude is a determinant on the field both offensively and defensively. Cant believe its been 7 years since the deal was signed, they are almost through it!
Always wonder what effect AP has on the the greatest player I have ever seen staying an Angel for life
Albert will always be a Cardinal Redbird HOFAME for sure.
Albert remains a class act and is a role model for men everywhere, regardless of the fact his production on the field is not as it once was,