Albert Pujols' Impact with the Angels: A 10-Year Mistake?

The Los Angeles Angels will regret the day they foolishly signed Albert Pujols to a gigantic 10-year deal worth $254 million.  

They have rewarded him for what he’s already accomplished in his brilliant career, but will not get the same production that the St. Louis Cardinals enjoyed for 11 seasons.

Offensively the Angels do not have the supporting cast that Pujols had in St. Louis (Jon Jay, David Freese, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman) last season.

Batting ahead of him should be Bobby Abreu—that is when he finds himself in the lineup.  Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Peter Bourjos are expected to be the Opening Day outfielders and Kendrys Morales the designated hitter. 

To further complicate matters, Pujols’ backup, Mark Trumbo, hit 29 bombs last season as a rookie and will be given his share of at-bats.   

Abreu’s ability to get on base is unmatched by any of his competition.  In his career he has averaged a .397 on-base percentage.  Although it has not been as high the past two seasons (.352 and .353), it remains better than league average.  His exclusion from the lineup could mean fewer RBI opportunities for Pujols. 

The most likely option to bat behind Pujols is Kendrys Morales, which would be terrific protection if we were still in 2009—his last full season, when he hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 RBI. 

On May 29, 2010, he fractured his left ankle and missed the remainder of the season and all of 2011. It could take some time for Morales to get comfortable at the plate, and if he struggles, teams may pitch around Pujols to get to him.

Two more options could be either of aging veterans Torii Hunter or Vernon Wells. 

Although both are still capable of hitting the long ball, their OPS (On base + Slugging Percentage) last year was one of the lowest totals in both of their careers (.660 for Wells, and .765 for Hunter).  Rather than face Pujols in key situations, we may see teams force hitters around Pujols to beat them.   

Is Albert Pujols finally slowing down? 

At 32, age should not be a factor just yet, but his 1,705 career games have surely taken a toll on his body.  He has also played in 154 games or more in eight of his 11 seasons, and has only missed 77 games. 

Last season he was walked 61 times, the lowest total in his career.  His batting average was below .300 (.299) for the first time, and his 99 runs batted in was also his fewest.  If we put it all together he hit .299 with 37 home runs and 99 RBI—still tremendous numbers, but an off-year by his standards. 

Although he remains an excellent hitter, are teams still intimidated by him? 

By comparison, Alex Rodriguez was also once feared.  Although Arod is still a threat at the plate, his days of hitting 40 or more homers are likely behind him. 

Could that also hold true for Pujols? 

After spending his entire career in the National League, he will now see AL arms he’s unfamiliar with. 

One advantage that he may have is the move from Busch Stadium to Angel Stadium of Anaheim, which may slightly boost his power numbers.  Since its inception new Busch Stadium has been favorable to pitchers, while Angel Stadium is closer to a neutral park.

However, two out of the three teams in the AL West (the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners) play in extreme pitchers’ parks, while the Texas Rangers are the only team in the division that play in a hitter-friendly park. 

In comparison, in his old division—the NL Central—the Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds) and Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) are two parks known to give up home runs.  Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros) also favors right-handed hitters, while PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates) and Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers) can be considered neutral parks. 

To take it further, Coors Field (Colorado Rockies), Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies) are three more hitter-friendly parks that he will now rarely visit as a member of the Angels.

Undoubtedly, the addition of Pujols will help improve the Angels, but there are a few questions marks around the team’s supporting cast. 

The move to the American League and the unfamiliarity with new pitchers could result in a decrease of production.  As time carries on, Pujols should maintain his superstar status for at last a couple of seasons, after which he will then be referred to as an aging star.

In five years, he will be 37 years old and will still be earning a hefty paycheck—but at that point he will no longer be considered a superstar or an aging star.  He will only be referred to as overpaid, and if the Angels haven’t won another championship by then, one thing they will have is five more years of regret.   

Your thoughts: Was signing Pujols to a 10-year, $254 million contract a good move by the Angels?