2012 MLB Free Agents: Best Destinations for Albert Pujols Outside of St. Louis

The World Series is now over, but while the Cardinals and their fans take some time to enjoy a well-earned celebration, the rest of us must pay attention to one other thing.

Albert Pujols is a free agent.

Pujols is one of the best hitters in the history of the game and is set to cash in on a huge payday. So, where would be the best places for him?

Before I go on, allow me to say this. His best fit is in St. Louis. With the possible exception of Stan Musial, Pujols is the best hitter in that team's history. The fans clearly love him there and he's obviously more than able to hit in that park.

But for the sake or argument, we're going to eliminate St. Louis as an option.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have a brand new group, led by Theo Epstein. I am not down on Carlos Pena, but this would be a great move.

For one, while Pena is a nice enough player, he hasn't hit over .230 in any of the last three seasons. You need more from first base. His power is still good, but he doesn't match Pujols in that area.

The Cubs are also the Cardinals' main rival, so grabbing the most recognizable and best Cardinals player would be a huge move for Epstein and the team.

Chicago is still looking to win its first World Series since 1908. Pujols on his own wouldn't do it, but he would be a gigantic step in the right direction.

San Francisco Giants

I am a Giants fan. While I don't see this as a terribly realistic move, I would love to see it happen;  it's not too far-fetched.

The Giants sold out every game in 2011. That does bring in a lot of money to the franchise. Their problem is so much money is tied up on certain players that it's really hard to add on other big contracts.

They are also somewhat tied up with Brandon Belt. But if this move can be made, Belt's adept enough in the outfield for that to not be a problem.

Even when the Giants won the World Series, they didn't have a particularly daunting lineup. A bat like Pujols—and the return of Buster Posey—would immediately change that. In no particular order, their heart would consist of Pujols, Posey, Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval. Not bad.

Despite their pitiful offense, the Giants still managed 86 wins in 2011, and their pitching will be largely intact. Pujols would likely push them to a division championship in 2012, if not more.

Los Angeles Angels

Not unlike the Giants, the Angels would have some existing problems at first base. Mark Trumbo is coming off of a great season and certainly can't be benched. But between other positions and the designated hitter, that's a solvable problem.

The Angels were a middle-of-the-road hitting team in the American League in 2011. That's not terrible, but the Rangers were one of the best, and not going anywhere. Anaheim will need to land some good offensive counter-punches to compete with them.

Pujols would be a great addition. As he's getting older, he could take some time off to DH, which would not be an option for any of the first two teams, or the Cardinals. The Angels certainly have the funds to woo him in.

Despite their World Series collapse, the Rangers will be in contention again in 2012. Wallace Mathews of ESPN New York reported that they are interested in C.C. Sabathia if he becomes available, so they have money to spend and a great group returning.

The Angels will need to make an immediate splash to compete with them. Pujols qualifies.