Future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols is looking to continue his career, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter) reports that three teams have shown some interest in signing the 42-year-old.
As Pujols prepares for what would be his 22nd Major League season, the slugger showed last year that he still has something to offer a roster. After being released by the Angels in May and then signed by the Dodgers, Pujols finished the 2021 campaign with a scorching .294/.336/.603 slash line against left-handed pitching (in 146 plate appearances). The Dodgers largely limited Pujols to platoon and pinch-hitting duties, and he responded with some of his most productive numbers in some time.
Feinsand notes that Pujols’ market has been expanded by the official installation of the universal DH, as now National League teams have a greater need for extra hitting pop. The flexibility of the designated hitter slot allows for less concern from NL teams about how Pujols would physically manage getting regular playing time as a first baseman.
Beyond the on-field help Pujols can still provide, teams could also be intrigued by his reputation as a clubhouse leader, and any potential ticket sales that could be drummed up by Pujols’ march up the all-time leaderboards. Pujols’ 679 career home runs puts him 17 homers behind Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time list, and over a full 162-game season, it certainly seems possible that Pujols can become the fourth player to ever reach the 700-homer plateau (Pujols had 17 home runs over 296 PA with the Angels and Dodgers last year). Pujols also needs 68 RBI to pass Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time RBI list.
Padres new DH on a one year deal?
Did I miss it? What three teams?
Beats me. The age is also wrong. He is at least 44.
Get it done cardinals!
he’s 42
Even more amazing, if he is that old.
46
NO NO NO, stop that. Schwarber or Rizzo is who the Cards need. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/03/yeah-about-pujols-and-that-nl-dh-and.html
Well, that’s too far. 43, yes, maybe 44, but not “at least 44,” let alone 46.
Based on the report I just read, it’s the Cardinals, Mariners, and Rockies.
I just don’t see the Pujols fit with the M’s: Luis Torrens already a plus DH option vs lefties (.275 and 9 dongs vs LHP last year in less than 200 abs) and is young and much cheaper with long term upside.
No guys, in case you haven’t seen him play; he’s not a catcher. Lol
Agreed. Just don’t see the fit. France better at first and plenty of better, younger DH options.
Rockies could be fun if they give him regular AB’s and take away the humidor. He could reach 700 HR’s by the All Star break
Luis Torrens has 9 dongs?
Hope not. I was thinking please don’t say the Padres
Is he a baseball player?
Is he available? Will he be? Is he fictionally available?
Then Padres interest will be mentioned.
Hoping for Nelson Cruz.
Padres new DH is Hosmer
Tap your heals 3 times, there’s no place like home (St Louis)
PS – I hate the DH Toto
No thanks. He left St Louis. Took all the sympathy with him. We dont need another .220 hitter.
What would you have done in his shoes? The cardinals weren’t offering anything near what the Angels did. I think that the Cards were right to do so, but I don’t blame AP.
Incorrect, bro. Look it up. The Cardinals actually offered more…and the club always has service contract deals to HOFers that amount to millions of dollars. PLUS, with the taxes
of California, Pujols would have pocketed even more in STL.
That said, that contract would have crippled the ball club because Albert’s production has not measured up to his STL years at all, so it worked out for the best for the Cardinals.
That said, hitting lefties .296…one year deal for $2.5 million to DH and finish up with Yadi (and probably Waino).
Go Cards!
I like how WainO thinks.
Would be a big bat in playoffs
NO. Schwarber or Rizzo, not Pujols. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/03/yeah-about-pujols-and-that-nl-dh-and.html
I agree. Hosmer may be better as a DH, he is a terrible 1st baseman
Let’s keep talking about Hosmer
Just as long as we don’t talk about Bruno
no, we should adress the Bruno situation posthaste
Hosmers a bad first baseman because of his bat, but sure… make him a DH
At least Pujols can’t be any worse than Hosmer
Maybe the Cardinals? One last season where it all started?
That’s what’s I thought the second I heard the DH was coming back full time. He sells tickets and why not let him retire a cardinal?
Because the cardinals are trying to compete and don’t need much help with ticket sales. Makes no sense other than for nostalgia which no one really needs.
Based on a slowing economy and how everyone here who said that they would drop MLB to become avid followers of celebrity croquet leagues, I’d say that ticket sales are on the minds of owners, at least a little more than usual.
Clubs/Cardinals are always looking for ways to fill seats…
This is a tough one. I think the cardinals need an experienced LH bat on the bench/DH. Schwarber comes to mind, but that’s not happing. So sign Albert to a one deal as a PH/DH/1B. He’s a veteran who can act like an extra coach, plus to see Pujols, Molina, and Waino go out together would be sweet. Sometimes you need nostalgia.
Cards draw 3 million a year. Don’t need Pujols to goose sales.
If Schwarber (or Rizzo) ain’t happening, it’s cuz Mo is his normal cheap ass.
NO NO. Pujols sucked in Dominican winter ball. Cards need a lefty bat, aka Rizzo or Schwarber. https://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2022/03/yeah-about-pujols-and-that-nl-dh-and.html
Gotta say I’m surprised at that level of interest for a guy who should only play against lefties and has no defensive position.
It’s still Albert Pujols… he was my favorite player never to be a Dodger. So I’d welcome him back
He was a dodger…..
DH. Heard of it?
So 140 at bats, DH and pinch hit only, only against lefties? He better put up like a 200 wRC+.
I’ve seen guys get to first base on a BB faster than he does on a base hit.
Yeah Pujols is obviously the biggest winner of the new CBA.
Eh. I’d say Castellanos, Schwarber, and Cruz. Pujols won’t get much either way.
He’s going back to St lewy
Pujols hits the ball hard. But he has such a hard time getting hits with three men on the left side of the infield.
The shift kills this guy,
Being 41 with bad feet kills the guy. He’s the slowest player in the league – might as well play 4 feet onto the grass.
He was the best hitter in the game for like 5 years and is a surefire hall of famer, but I think he’s done.
Someone will certainly give him an opportunity. I didn’t believe the Dodgers would actually hold onto him or pujols would be so good in the defined role. The home run race alone will be worth it
His time with LA shows he has something to offer. With the DH and his ability to hit lefties still there, two years to the Cards so he gets 700 home runs. The attendance and merchandise sales will more than pay his salary.
I mean, someone will give him a contract or at least an invite to spring training, but he hit for a .759 OPS in 200PA with LAD. Before that he was a well below average hitter for 1700PA. That’s what you want from your defensive zero PH/DH?
The Dodgers used him exclusively against lefties and he was in a contender. It must be hard to play year after year for a loser no matter your paycheck
@cow. 5 years? Try 10. But yeah he’s done.
Definitely 2004-2009. I’ll give you 2003 if you want to exclude Bonds. He was very good in 2010.
Bonds was best player of century if we chose to ignore…
Can’t ignore. Exclude cheaters. Just my way of believing no one is bigger than the game
But we cannot ignore the steroid elephant in the room.
Pujols beats Yadi Molina in a foot race . He would look good in cubbie blue
10 years.
Reds. Ownership likes greats from his time with cardinals.
I hope Pujols can hit at least 18 HRs and pass A-Wrong on the all time HR list.
^ this
Cardinals. Yadi, Wainwright, & Pujols.
One last ride…
Mets
Share the DH with Dominic batting against righties.
No. Big no. We have another washed up player at DH.
Eh, He could theoretically be a feel-good story. But he could also just be taking a roster spot from someone more versatile. In an era of enormous pitching staffs, the market should be limited for his type of player
Let’s go PIRATES!!!!!! Get Albert!!!
Honestly? I wouldn’t hate it. If they’re going to spend money on a righty DH type I’d rather they have a reunion with McCutchen, but I’d buy a ticket or 2 to see Albert in black and gold.
Isn’t Pujols actually a few years older than officially listed?
No. But by all means continue spewing that false narrative for no reason at all.
I just saw him on a commercial talking about reverse mortgages and getting the Medicare benefits you deserve, so not sure about that……
Since steroid testing, nobody it makes a few years past 42 in MLB. He has decisively proved his age. His collapse in production in his early 30s wasn’t proof of an age lie, it was something that happens to a significant percentage of players. It’s hard to stay great.
“42” years old.
Pirates, Orioles, Diamondbacks. Boom, there’s your 3 teams. Pujols makes any of them into an instant World Series contender, right? … right???
It can’t be MLB teams, can it?
Major league organizations maybe but there can’t possibly be 3 major league contract offers.
Who and Why?
Pujols is returning to STL. Gotta finish it all where he started it all.
There are any number of bat first players who don’t have bad wheels available who could put up numbers like that. He’s a great presence in the dugout and clubhouse, so maybe that’s the draw
And at least for At. Louis, he’d sell merchandise. Would love to see Dads bringing their old shirts out of the closet and buying matching new shirts for their Cardinal fan kids (and I’m a Sox fan who has only seen that great arch in person once).
Damn. Hoping we’d get hear his real age soon. I’ve always assumed he’ll pull a Tejada and come clean right when it doesn’t matter anymore.
Idiot.
Eh, pretty smart if you don’t get caught.
Pujols as a cardinal for his last at bat would be a nice thought, but for a full season it would hurt to watch.
A Cardinals swan song with an April or May retirement makes some sense.
If he wants to keep playing until no one will let him anymore, you gotta respect that too, but I hope it isn’t for my team.
He’s a great clubhouse guy.
The key with him is he needs to be platooned at this point. The slash line against LHP is solid, that’s a 146 WRC+ so he’s well above average if you limit him to LHP. Someone can find value in that like the Dodgers did.
That’s just such a niche market though because basically all he can do now is be the weak side of a DH platoon arrangement? I think most competitive teams are going up need that roster spot for someone who can be used in more situations.
OK, 146 wRC+ against lefties last year in 100PA.
2020: 64wRC+ against lefties
2019: 112
2018: 82
2017: 64
I see him going to the Royals, technically a homecoming but yet not quite the same.
The Rockies do not need a player long past his prime. He is finished and needs to go spend his money.
The picture tells the story. Got to give your ageing body a chance. Good luck to him though. Cards would be a nice story.
“42”
I hear his wife thinks the few offers out there are insulting.
Eric Neander on line one…
The Pads are nutty enough.
Could we put an asterisk after Pujols’ “age,” or at least acknowledge that if he’s “42,” that’s (a) homage to Jackie Robinson, or (b) his calendar has a secret 13th month?
He’s a DH/PH only type who bats right handed and you hope he can manage to be a league average hitter. His value? Nostalgia. Name recognition.
The Doosan Bears?
Oakland A’s type of signing
Only regret is the LAA didn’t can this overweight has been 4 years ago. Why any franchise allows some former ‘great’ back to ‘bump’ another player from an active roster is nuts.
Pujols was paid way more than he ever produced – Point to heaven porky Pujols….wait for the hoi polloi adoration – you were a total bust for the Angels