LeBron James: Will Albert Pujols Match his Media-Buzz in the MLB?

In case you haven't heard, the biggest sports story of the summer is finally over: Cliff Lee is a Texas Ranger.

Oh, and LeBron James chose the Miami Heat.

In all seriousness, James' free agency—both impending and actual—has been one of the most widely talked about, analyzed, speculated, scrutinized, and ultimately criticized stories the sports world has seen in recent memory.

No other professional athlete in any of the four major sports in this country has garnered as much attention for so relatively trivial an issue.

Certainly, O.J. Simpson and Michael Vick earned their share of the headlines for awhile, but their infamy can hardly be held in the same light.

Only Brett Favre's incessant coverage the past two years came anywhere close to LeBron Watch 2010. But even so, the circumstances were vastly different—Favre being one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and nearly calling it quits.

The coverage was different too. Dogged as they were, the media seemed apathetic to the whole Favre affair. Still, given the amount of time they put into covering the story, they were determined to see it through. Like finishing a bad meal you've already paid for.

On the other hand, James and his impending decision fascinated media members. They couldn't wait to start off SportsCenter or jump on sports talk radio with a LeBron-heavy theme.

Perhaps it is because of the impact James' decision could eventually have on the future of the his sport.

He could have made any team he chose the potential favorite to win the next NBA Championship. Now that the three Miami-gos are firmly in place, the Heat could be in line to win the next three or four.

But James isn't the only star big enough to shift the balance of power in a given sport.

Cliff Lee, the Seattle Mariners' rent-an-ace, has gone down to Texas and instantly turned the Rangers—a franchise that's never won a playoff series, let alone a World Series title—from a divisional contender into a serious postseason threat.

Whichever contending team decides to toss a little loose change Lee's way this offseason will quickly put themselves in the same position.

The thing is, Lee's story will be mentioned. The Rangers' big pick-up will be raise an eyebrow or two.

But that will be all.

There was no fanfare leading up to Lee's trade, at least not like that surrounding James. This, in spite of the fact that Lee's impact on his new team will be just as important as James'.

Alex Rodriguez, third baseman for the New York Yankees and one of the best all around players in the game today, hit the free-agent market back in 2007 by announcing the news during a World Series game in a classless attempt to drum up interest.

It worked, interest piqued, but not as much as he hoped, and certainly not to the level of LeBron James circa 2010.

Of course, that was back before the media market took hold of social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, before fans had mobile apps that beamed the latest news directly to their cell phones.

If A-Rod were to opt out of his contract today, he could whisper it to his grandmother and the news would still spread like wildfire, with pundits and fans alike ready to give their two cents.

Given his guaranteed 10-year deal with the Yankees, that isn't likely to happen.

But there is one MLB superstar who may be able to reach James' status in media coverage very soon.

Next season is the last in first baseman Albert Pujols' contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. Like James, he is in line to command one of the largest free-agent deals in baseball history and, also like James, no team will hesitate to pay him.

Assuming the three-time and current reigning NL MVP doesn't sign an extension with St. Louis, he better make sure he has an umbrella. Because the storm around him will be relentless.