Why the Cardinals Will Be Glad They Let Albert Pujols Go to the Angels

Losing Albert Pujols to the Los Angeles Angels was certainly a blow to the St. Louis Cardinals, but in the long run, they will end up being better off.

There are a number of reasons why the Cardinals will not regret losing Pujols despite the fact that he is one of the best players in the game.

The loss of Pujols certainly stings at the moment, but when this move is looked back on, it will not hurt as much.

The Length of the Deal

When players get long-term deals of six or seven years, it is normally not a surprise when they struggle towards the tail end of the deal. With Albert Pujols' ten year contract, he could have a long period of decline.

Pujols is an elite hitter, but it is not known how he will age. It is possible that he begins to decline at age 38, when there are still a few years left on his deal.

He Might Not Be the Age That He Says He Is

Albert Pujols' deal will end when he is 41 years old. Or at least when he says he will be 41 years old.

According to Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald, the Miami Marlins had some concerns about Pujols' age when they were making offers to him. Should he turn out to be older than he says he is, the Cardinals will be happy they let him go.

They Can Spend the Money on Other Stars

Albert Pujols signed a huge deal and he would have also cost the St. Louis Cardinals more than $20 million a year. They can now spend this money elsewhere.

While they may not use that money this offseason, they will have it in the future to spend on other starts that hit free agency.

One Player Does Not Make or Break a Team

As good as Albert Pujols is, baseball is a team game. The St. Louis Cardinals are still a very good team. They have the potential to be a playoff team without Pujols.

The Cardinals may not have a big power threat in their lineup right now, but they also don't have a player who may be paid over $20 million a year to hit just 15-20 home runs in 2019.

Matt Adams Is Inexpensive and Talented

One door closes and another one opens. Matt Adams has the opportunity to step into that opening and play first base for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Adams is a power hitter that knocked 32 home runs at Double-A while batting .300 in 2011. He did this in just 115 games.

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