As part of this past offseason’s collective bargaining agreement, the league and Players Association agreed to a possible alteration to All-Star festivities. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reports that the commissioner’s office now has authority to add one or more players to each league’s roster to honor a player’s career achievements.
“In addition to the 32 players elected and selected to the All-Star Game, the Commissioner may choose to add one player that he selects to each League’s roster, in recognition of each player’s career achievements,” the clause states. “If special circumstances warrant, the Commissioner may select more than one player to each league’s roster.”
It’s a discretionary clause the commissioner doesn’t have to exercise in any season, but Rosenthal argues the league should apply to it Albert Pujols this year. There’s a fairly easy case to be made for doing so. The three-time MVP is playing his final season with the Cardinals, and he’s sure to sail into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. A ten-time All-Star, he won’t earn a selection to this year’s game on his 2022 performance, but he’s among the greatest players in MLB history. Pujols last appeared in an All-Star Game in 2015.
The 2022 All-Star Game will take place at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles had been set to host the festivities in 2020, but they were canceled as part of pandemic protocols. The contest is scheduled for two weeks from now, July 19.
Yes! This is the way it should be absolutely
One more time for the old farts!
Shouldn’t be albert pujols. Shouldn’t be an unsavory ‘individual’ like pujols who claimed that God wanted him to have the most money in his next contract screamed at the manager in front of the entire team (whle being a horrible player for years and years and years) and left his wife- in fact announced it publicly- during the course of her major surgery. pujols has been an absolute zero as a player for more than half a decade and hasn’t had any kind of standout season in 10 years and has established himself as a lowlife on top of that.
First off while the timing of the divorce announcement was weird, I’m sure it was because people were going to question why he wasn’t by her side and that would explain why. Pujols has been known as a tremendous leader and clubhouse presence. He has never, until this season, been a horrible player at any point. In comparison to his paycheck maybe, but he was an above average player on the angels, just over paid. And god (if you believe in him) clearly did want him to have the most money because he got it lol. I’m a cubs fan but you seem like a bitter hater
“He has never, until this season, been a horrible player at any point”
Wrong, he hasn’t produced more than 0.3 WAR since 2016 and numerous seasons during that time he has actually been in negative WAR for production (including an amazingly bad 2017). Definition of a horrible player
“Pujols has been known as a tremendous leader and clubhouse presence”
Wrong. he latched onto Trout (obviously since Trout was the best player, therefore pujols wanted to be associated with him at all times and that’s why he always sat next to Trout on the bench, etc) and that was it. He screamed at the manager in front of the entire team in addition to that, which again is the definition of a horrible clubhouse presence. he tried to be a good clubhouse presence by hugging everybody on the Dodgers just to try to rewrite the narrative because of his despicable actions and behavior while he was in Anaheim.
Half the stuff that goes into WAR are nonsense. His stats were consistently good just not 300 million good. And he yelled at a manager big deal. So have 90% of players at some point and 100% of managers have yelled at them. It’s called sports. And he is notorious good teammate and mentor. It’s why the dodgers were willing to sign him and why the cardinals were willing to bring him back. Get a clue
The Cardinals brought him back to try to grasp at nostalgia and for his pathetic ‘retirement season’ (currently batting .192/.282/.320.) Since 2016, his numbers are .238/.290/.405- not even a .700 OPS to go along with bad defense and being one of the worst base runners in MLB. he has been horrible.
So let me guess your an analytics guy? Part of it was roster construction. He should have been full time DH but they had other candidates they used, past few seasons has been Ohtani. Not to mention the first two seasons in your example Pujols had 31hrs and 119rbis and 23 hrs and 101 rbis. His batting WAR was only negative once in that time frame (twice if you count first month of 2021 on angels). You’re talent evaluating is laughable. Was he vintage Pujols. No. Was he terrible. Not until this year. And the cardinals brought him back because he’s a good clubhouse guy even if he offered very little on field, plus it was a great story with yadi and potentially Wainwright retiring. But they would not have sabatoged the clubhouse if he’s a bad guy when they are a playoff contender. Get a clue
@savos, Well actually, screaming at a manager is an *example* of horrible clubhouse presence, not the *definition* of it.
@Wowwww- You were making good arguments until you said “half the stuff that goes into WAR are nonsense.”
Now THAT is just nonsense. You can say you just don’t understand it.
You people are ridiculous, Angels overpaid for pujols services because that’s “the grand promise” players get paid way to much at the end of there career based on what they did at the beginning and the facts are NOBODY has ever started a career the way Albert Pujols did
Early on Pujols was compared to DiMaggio a lot. I would like to see him in 2 weeks
I understand it, but there’s so much more to a good baseball player than that. It’s not the be all end all of a successful player. And it doesn’t take into account a poor roster, poor roster construction, poor managing. It’s a good baseline but there’s more important indicators of success
Pujols definitely has been bad but I don’t blame him at all for taking the most money, sure his last 5-6 years have been bad but he also isn’t getting back any money for his first 3 years when he played at an mvp level for the minimum.
Over his career pujols was still a bargain, roughly 90 war (average between fwar and bwar) and 350 mil earned so his dollar per war is about 3.8 mil which isn’t very high.
Sucks for the angels but over his career his salary was really fair value.
Nonsensical virtue signaling aside, why is “individual” in quotation marks? Do you not think Albert Pujols qualifies as an individual?
@Savos – Unless he has a criminal record (which he doesn’t), you can’t look at Pujols’ personal life issues as part of this selection process. There are probably quite a few ball players who aren’t the most likable people outside of baseball, but this is about accomplishments on the field and Pujols is for sure deserving of a selection here.
Him yelling at the manager is not a big deal at all. It happens all the time in baseball.
Pujols took a 10 year deal and was actively hostile to a team on teh way that employed him .200 for 4 years out of respect. The dude is a clown.
Well articulated
I think, more important, is the fact that when he played he was selected to all-star teams. He is now so far from an all-star that it is just another absurd decision by MLB and Manfred to memorialize players as part of the “We’re America’s Pastime” crapola.
Manfred should be working on making the game more watchable NOW and less about the past. I’m a lifelong baseball fan and even I am losing interest in three-outcome at bats, starting pitchers pitching five innings, and 88-win teams as World Champions.
So hostile they brought him back for a farewell season. Contract negations always get a little hostile it’s a business. See Freeman, Freddie. But it does not mean the team doesn’t still like the player or the player is a bad person. Have you seen averages across baseball? This isn’t an average game anymore. It’s homers and rbis. I mean Miggy batting .308 this year and he won’t make the team unless it’s in this honorary role. All people focus on is the contract. Yes he’s over paid but cmon. Look at his homers and rbis. One season on that 10 year deal was Covid. One season he was an all star. One season was only one month. The other 7 seasons he was average or above average.
Roster construction has absolutely nothing to do with a players individual stats..and no, RBIs are a team stat and not a individual stats. Clutch hitting can be determined with the AVG and maybe the SLG in such situations.
Now, ignoring the contract, I’d say the last five seasons of Pujols tenure with the Angels were awful. During those five seasons, he was playing either playing First Base, a position that values above average offense, or DH, a position that values excellent offense, neither of which were things Pujols brought to the table at that point.
All that aside, I agree that Pujols should probably get the bonus spot. His career numbers are HOF worthy after all.
I disagree. I think roster construction can have a huge impact. Firstly, playing in a spot with some protection affords the player better pitches to see. Secondly, the atmosphere in a winning ball club improves everyone’s morale and players generally play better in a positive winning environment. The mental side of hitting is incredibly important.
Not saying that this applies to pujols in this situation, just that your assumptions that roster construction doesn’t matter is not correct, in my opinion.
RBI is a team stat? So Salvador Perez won the RBI title because of his team? LOL
I mispoke/ had a brain fart. My point with that was (or was supposed to be) that RBI’s being used as a primary reason for why a player is great offensively is imo wrong.
Just one of those moments where I happen to speak faster then I can think.
Did he sleep with your mom?
Pujols and who in the AL? Greinke?
No real candidates as I think Greinke plays again next year. Maybe Justin Upton or Carlos Santana but that’s a stretch.
I think this is Greinkes curtain call, why else would he go back to KC?
He’s going to try his hardest to get 3000K’s I think
He might need 6 more years then at his rate
True, but he’s not playing terrible so it will just depend how long he can sustain it and if he wants to play still. I think he does but he’s always been a wildcard. I think this only works though if a player announces his retirement in advance like Yadi, Pujols did. Or else it’s speculation at that point
That’s why I think Greinke over Miggy this year because one is on the expiring contract, the other is not
Miguel Cabrera was my first thought
Miggy deserves it for sure.
Miggy may be deserving even if they don’t make this commission exception. We don’t have many possible representatives for our team this year, outside a couple relievers, and Miggy is batting .308.
Yes, absolutely. I just don’t get how there were previous comments saying there were no obvious AL candidates. The dude just joined the 3000/500 club. That’s about as obvious as it gets.
Miggy and Pujols as the career-achievement all-stars is as perfect as perfect a pair as there could be, considering that they’re the two greatest hitters of the 21st century, whose careers have very much paralleled each other.
In fact, I’d be willing to guess that these extra spots were created specifically for them.
Miguel Cabrera? Don’t think he has announced he’s done, but would be cool to see one last time.
Miguel Cabrera would make the most sense, but he’s not retiring this year, so probably not.
There’s nothing in these new rules that says the player needs to be in his last season in order to get selected, so Miggy is really the one and only choice in the AL. Greinke is a distant 2nd and he’d be a distant 3rd if Verlander fell in this category but Verlander is going to make the team on his own merit this season. The guy is a machine!
Well true but it seems like the whole point is to make it apart of their farewell tour
Yeah that’s who I was missing, the tigers have been so irrelevant lol that I managed to forget miggy. SMH.
@tstats
Gee, maybe it could be a similar player to Pujols, one who recently passed 3000 hits, 500 HR, and 600 2B. Miguel Cabrera came to my mind before Pujols, due to recency. Both could be appropriate choices.
They should do it for yadier and Pujols this year. And then Miggy, Greinke and Wainright next season (I think wainwright comes back next year), although he’s still playing well he may end up earning it fair and square.
And Miggy for the AL. I’ll also be fine with Rob Refsnyder.
Tyler Wade.
Rob Refsnyder for MVP
Pujols is a slam dunk. Miguel Cabrera is probably the only person in the AL who deserves a similar selection. Verlander does too but he’ll probably make the team based on his actual performance this year. There are definitely more candidates in the NL for this (Pujols, Molina, Wainwright, Cruz) although they probably wouldn’t consider Cruz due to his prior PED suspension.
This is nice, but barely deserving a headline. Pujols has so many accolades I doubt this moves the needle for him. We’re in a playoff race. Save the trophies for after the season.
Pujols doesn’t need the needle to be moved at all. The needle is stuck on “First Ballot Hall of Famer”; the only question will be if it will be unanimous or not.
Lol, they didn’t put Maddux through unanimously. I’d be shocked if they put anyone through unanimously….
They already did with Mariano Rivera
It’s fun for the fans and players. I don’t put much weight into the ASG or HR Derby but it’s nice to celebrate the careers of future HOF’erson their way out.
Cruz?
Probs not due to PED usage
Isn’t this what the hall of fame is for?
Not really. This is for the fans of baseball and more of a thank your for 20 years of entertainment.
If it’s what the fans wanted they would have voted that way
Given how many times players get voted in in their final years when they don’t really deserve it (Jeter 2014 as an example), this is a plus.
It has always been a popularity contest until the mistakenly made the ASG relevant for WS homefield advantage. Don’t be so grumpy.
I’d rather them nix the fan voting and have it determine homefield advantage again. would be more fun that way.
Why? It’s an exhibition game where the managers try to get every player into the game whereas a game which decides homefield advantage employs actual strategy and some players get left out on the bench. I don’t vote anymore but as a kid I looked forward every season to mailing in my ballot.
Fingers crossed for Refsnyder.
This is an awesome idea, glad to see it. I’ve long been on the side that it’s the all-STAR game, not the all-“who has had the best half season so far” team, but I also understand that lesser-known players can leverage more money out of their next contract based on AS appearances they earn. Great compromise to make sure this exhibition game isn’t overly weighed down with red tape or baseball politics – just put as many stars as you can on the field and put on a show.
Jack Armstrong has entered the chat.
*beeeeep* hi, this message is for Tyler Green…
the pujols rule
Why did they wait till now (MLB) to tell us that something good came out of the CBA?
The out of control commissioner did a hostile takeover of this game last year. I couldn’t care less what they do with it. I won’t be watching.
But you’re still reading lol
I don’t believe he’s taken over this page yet.
Yet
But it’s still the sport lol
The sport has come very close to running me off. Very close.
I no longer pay any attention whatsoever to the NFL or the NBA.
I think this is pretty stupid. It’s a pity selection that will go on their resume meanwhile other very good players can’t get an all star selection, not that they matter a ton but they help for salaries and HOF credentials. Literally a participation trophy.
I don’t think it will count as actually being selected to all star team. It’s more of an honorary appearance
I don’t think it’s called a participation trophy when you give it to guys who have participated so long that they put up legendary HOF numbers.
The kind of people who will be selected for this (Miggy, Albert, etc.) don’t need more resume bullets; it’s not for their benefit, it’s for the fans and the lesser-known but still deserving players. Easy example to illustrate – Ty France needs an AS appearance on his resume in order to help his young career and deserves one for his start to the season, but I as a baseball fan would much rather see Miguel Cabrera playing with the other superstars. Or, think about how many times Jeter went towards the end instead of a SS having a significantly better year. Now with this new rule, we get to have it both ways. Everyone wins here, in my opinion.
hole, as the article says, it’s an additional spot that won’t take away from anyone else ‘s opportunity to earn an All-Star selection.
So struggle the first half of the season and struggle at the ASG? There’s a reason players get voted in on merit…from the first half of the season.
Figured they’d find away to get Kershaw to start considering the game is in LA.
Well he’s having a damn good season too
The cat guy on his team and Max Fried are preforming far better and actually take their turn every 5 days. Scherzer is having a pretty good year too. Struck out a ton of dudes tonight. Might as well start him!
Ok let’s give Jonathan Schoop the AL spot. Having a bad year but he was nice last year and didn’t make it
The A.L. Won’t have anyone this year, but it will be Miggy next year.
He’s said he’s done after next year, the last of his contract.
Not so bad if pujols, miggy are pinch hitters
Mike Schmidt got voted on when he retired in season in 1989
By no means am I Pujols fan…..but I was at the all star in 1983 when Johnny Bench and Carl Yastrzemski were added to the rosters as they were retiring at the end of that season. Almost 40 years and I still remember them being announced.
Let Pujols get announced, get a pinch hit appearance and ride off into the sunset.
It will be good for the game even if players move around and aren’t as revered as they were when I was a kid.
I love this change to the All-Star Game rules. It’s a great way to honor former stars who on nearing the end of their careers and may not otherwise make the All-Star squads.
If I were the Commissioner, this year’s honors would go to Miguel Cabrera in the AL, and Yadier Molina in the NL.
So your choices are a guy who isn’t even retiring this season and a guy who’s worse than his other teammate that’s retiring (and also he’s injured). You clearly get the point
This seems like something made up specifically for Albert Pujols. I say why not? All-Star game is essentially a joke, but may as well make it a celebration. I’m all for it.
On one hand, it makes sense, but on the other, we’re going to honor Pujols who shouldn’t be in the majors right now while his teammates and slightly younger borderline hall of famers Wainwright and Molina are still contributing? Doesn’t sit right.
I’d agree if he took a spot of another player but if it’s an add on, then it’s just for celebration of the career and not making anyone else miss out on being selected. I’m good with it.
Not quite sure if he’s one of the greatest in history
You must have missed the first 11 years of his career.
I’ve been a big fan of Pujols his entire career. That said,it’s truly sad when guys like Albert can’t walk away when so obviously it’s time.
He hasn’t hit as much as. 250 in 6 years now and hasn’t been more than a replacement level player for at least a few.
How about MIGGY AND YADI?
Man y’all are missing the point. While not specifically laid out in the rules, the intention of this rule is to allow players IN THEIR FINAL SEASON to appear in the all star game in an honorary capacity. This is both to thank/semi honor the player and for the fans. If you’re going to force one in AL it should be Upton, Santana, or most fitting Greinke. However none of them have said this is their final season. As a result the only two they should do this year are Yadi and Pujols
Lame.
The Pujols Rule. I like it. Then, when he’s selected, he decides he’d rather spend time with family.
Bartolo?
It’s gotta be Albert and Miggy.
This isn’t Miggy’s final year, unless he decides to retire and leave his $32 million for 2023 on the table.
Oh, so it’s only for players on the final year of their contract. So all potential free agents are eligible… Nice.
Judge? He’s had a pretty good career.
Sanchez?
What if Pujols decides he wants one more year? Do they do it again next year?
Many fans are assuming there needs to be one from each league. Not the case. It’s Pujols this year and no other player. This is an exhibition. It doesn’t matter if the NL has an extra pinch hitter this year.
Please do away with those horrible All-Star game jerseys.
Lets go back to wearing your team uniform again. Fans should already know what league their team is in.
Trevor Bauer and Robbie Cano
Mic drop
Rob Manfred is going to put himself in the all-star game.
Airo13 — Exactly, whatever burnishes his sorry=ass career as the owner’s mouthpiece. To hell with the game, baseball is just a business. Very, very sad for those of us who grew up with the game.
I don’t understand why it needs to be just one… I’m by no means a cardinals fan but Molina has announced he is planning on retiring at the end of the season as well… he is as deserving to suit up one last time no?
Miggy still has another year but he’s having a good year and has recently hit some milestones, invite him and honor him for his career achievements.
It specifically says in the article that it can be more than one player, he could easily choose both Pujols and Molina
Miguel Cabrera should also be selected for the A:L as a future 1st ballot Hall of Famer
and one of only 6 or 7 players in MLB history with 500+ home runs and 3,000+ hits!!
Probably will be Miggy and Pujols. But what about pitchers? Such as Greinke or Wainwright? And does it have to be an old guy? If Soto doesn’t make AS does his extraordinary career achievement (albeit extraordinarily brief) warrant placement by commish onto team?
Greinke and Wainwright are also deserving of this honor!
It’s always interesting how “God” advises players to take the highest available contract. As charitable a being as he may be, he oddly never advises the players to take whatever money might be manageable for a team down on their luck in an attempt to change their fortunes. A true mercenary this “God” is.
This misguided nostalgia tour for Pujols is keeping a player on the roster for no legitimate reason other than fuzzy feelings. Anyone else would have been cut by now and another option explored.
There are actually legitimate reasons to keep him around, specifically the mentoring of the young hitters on the roster. The Cardinals are relying on more rookies than pretty much anyone this year and having Pujols to help them in their first year has been a specific benefit that pretty much all of the rookie hitters have quoted.
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina also deserves this honor
as a top quality,.long term All Star catcher (10 All Star games)
who has been one of the best NL catchers of this era and is retiring.
Would be a complete and utter embarrassment for either Pujous or Molina to be in the same city or even state as the Allstar game. Their time was up yeas ago, and outside of St Louis, no one cares about them.
It seems you’re missing the point of this type of All Star selection.
Molina is off in some jungle “rehabbing”, once again abandoning his team. The only way Manfred will be able to notify him is trying to find a mule to get a note to the cartel.
Miggy in the AL and either Albert or Yadi in the NL.
I still don’t understand the SS from Toronto over Tim Anderson!
MIggy and Greinke from the AL
Pujols and Yadier Molina from the NL.
Maybe honor him at the game but don’t let him play. That way you can honor Molina and Wainwright too and not have to honor an AL guy.