Albert Pujols Signs With Angels In $250M Deal
The Los Angeles Angels have hit the Albert Pujols sweepstakes. It has been reported Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a 10-year $250 million contract.
Pujols, one of the best free agents available this offseason and arguably the greatest player of this era, was highly sought out by the Chicago Cubs and the Miami Marlins.
The nine-time All-Star and three-time National League Most Valuable Player, weighed a 10-year offer from the Marlins earlier this week and had a counter offer to consider from the Cardinals, with whom he had spent all of his 11 Major League seasons.
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The Miami Marlins dropped their pursuit of Pujols on Wednesday after agreeing to a deal with pitcher Mark Buehrle.
According to ESPN sources, Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, was engaged in intense negotiations with both the Cardinals and the Angels late Wednesday night.
St. Louis' offer was for nine years and a little under $200 million, according to ESPN.
However, the Cardinals ultimately were out bided when they reportedly would not go beyond a deal worth around $215 million with deferred money and a non-guaranteed 10th year.
Pujols turned down an offer from the Cardinals prior to Spring Training, which he had set as a deadline for negotiations, saying he would not discuss a new contract during camp or the regular season.
After leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a second World Series Title, Pujols stock raised even higher this off-season.
At the end of the 2011 season, he led all active players in batting average (.328), slugging percentage (.617), on base plus slugging percentage (1.037), and ranked 37th in number of home runs in Major League Baseball history.
