After something of an unceremonious separation from the Angels, and with a desire not to hang ’em up just yet, former superstar Albert Pujols may head back to where it all began.
Hearing Albert Pujols is drawing interest from his old team, the #STLCards
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 15, 2021
Given that Pujols did not want to be a bench player with the Angels, which is part of what precipitated his release – since the Angels were obviously not going to start him over other options – I don’t quite see why he’d want to hit up the Cardinals, where there will be few at bats available (right?).
But maybe it’s a nostalgia play, and he’ll be a bench guy there on something of a farewell tour? I guess we’ll see what happens. Obviously Pujols had his best years in St. Louis, and he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s a 41-year-old who hasn’t been an above-average bat in literally five years.
UPDATE: Nope, it’s the Dodgers:
BREAKING: The Dodgers and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols are in agreement on a major-league deal for the remainder of the season, per source.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 15, 2021
I don’t entirely get the fit here, as Pujols would seem a pretty marginal bench player at this point in his career, given the lack of defensive ability and, again, a bat that’s been below average five years running.