Albert Pujols, Angels at a Crossroads on 3rd Anniversary of Their Mega-Contract

Three years ago today, the Los Angeles Angels stunned baseball.

On Dec. 8, 2011, the franchise swiftly finalized its 10-year contract with free agent Albert Pujols, paying him $254 million for the duration. It was, at the time, the second-largest contract in baseball history behind Alex Rodriguez’s 10-year, $275 million deal.

It is now three years later. Pujols’ extremely back-loaded contract still owes him $189 million with another $10 million in incentives a realistic possibility. He will be 35 next season. The Angels have not sniffed a World Series with him in their lineup, and Pujols has the look of a slugger that will not age gracefully.

If the Angels are going to win with Pujols as an important part of their core, it probably has to happen in 2015 while they are still likely to get decent production out of him and the division is shallow in contenders.

“It seems like when people doubt me, I always have that chip on my shoulder to prove them wrong,” Pujols told Los Angeles Times beat writer Mike DiGiovanna in 2013, a season in which Pujols set career lows in games played, home runs, RBIs, batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS. “I’ve been doing that since the day I became a professional." 

Travis Heying/Associated Press

Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto signed Pujols and C.J. Wilson in that winter three years ago and Josh Hamilton the following offseason at the direction of owner Arte Moreno, who has moved aggressively and sometimes unwisely to capture the franchise’s second World Series title and first under Moreno.

This offseason could be quite different, though. The Angels had a nearly $155 million payroll last season, and because of back-loaded deals for Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton (as well as significant raises coming for superstar MVP Mike Trout), it will likely go up by the time spring training rolls around.

Moreno also has no desire to go beyond the $189 million luxury tax threshold, and the team won an MLB-best 98 games last season. That means major roster additions, like signing one of the ace pitchers on the free-agent market, aren’t necessarily needed.

“I don't want to rob [fans] of dreaming big, but we're very comfortable with the team we have,” Dipoto told DiGiovanna. “This off-season is more about accent players—utility infielders, backup catchers, left-handed relievers—than marquee names.”

That can of course change in a hurry or just be lip service. Dipoto made similar statements before signing Pujols and Hamilton. But whatever is done with the Angels’ payroll and roster, it comes at a critical time for the franchise, which has a significant chunk of its roster on the decline and prone to injury.

Wilson has been a bust in his three seasons and last year put up a 4.51 ERA, making him one of the worst qualified starters in the majors. And as we learned Sunday at the winter meetings from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Angels are shopping the left-hander. That kind of deal could be their way to clear space for Max Scherzer or James Shields.

"

"C.J. WILSON IS AVAILABLE VIA TRADE" SOUNDS KIND OF LIKE A THREAT.

— NOT BUSTER OLNEY (@TRIPPINGOLNEY) December 8, 2014"

Hamilton hasn’t been any better, with a 110 OPS-plus in his two seasons with the team, and he managed only 89 games last season.

Pujols has been better than both even with his awful 2013 season that was demolished by injuries. Most of his value has come through his power. He has 75 home runs, but his OBP is just .332 and he has yet to hit .300 as an Angel.

Combined, those three signings will cost the team $65 million in 2015 with no assurance of improved productivity or health.

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The anniversary of Pujols’ deal is not just about him. It signaled a transformation of the franchise. Moreno, always aggressive in free agency but never landing his prize before Pujols, finally got his big name and made it clear he would not stop there. He was willing to drastically overpay to knock the Oakland A’s and Texas Rangers from the top of the American League West, but he also expected a better return by this point.

The Angles have made the postseason once in the Pujols era, and that dance ended with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in October. They will likely be favorites to win the division next season, but as we know from 2012 and 2013, picking the Angels in that way can easily go wrong. The declining health and production of players like Pujols, Wilson and Hamilton are reasons why.

Before Pujols’ contract becomes the regrettable burden it is bound to be, the Angels have to justify the spending. Winning the World Series accomplishes that. Anything short and it will be easy to call that record-setting deal a failure.

Seven years remain on Pujols’ contract, but his decline means the Angels’ window to win with him is much smaller, making this a critical offseason for the franchise and possibly making 2015 a make-or-break season.

Anthony Witrado covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. He spent the previous three seasons as the national baseball columnist at Sporting News and four years before that as the Brewers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow Anthony on Twitter @awitrado and talk baseball here.