Oh. My. God. It actually happened. The Angels have signed Albert Pujols and finally delivered on that long-promised big splash move. Heck, this isn’t a big splash, it is a freaking tsunami. I’m not sure if I am even going to be able to write about this rationally.
This signing is epic in so, so many ways for the Halos. Ten years and at least $250 million is obviously ridiculous. Unless Pujols delivers multiple World Series titles, I don’t see anyway the team doesn’t end up hating that contract by the time it expires. Of course, there is also the distinct chance that Pujols actually can help the Angels win multiple World Series titles, which is exactly why I think the deal is worth the risk.
But it is what this means both on and off the field that has me backing this deal whole heartedly. With Pujols, arguably the best player of his generation, pilfered by the Angels, nobody can ever again accuse the Halos of always finishing second in free agency bidding (I’m talking to you, Jon Heyman). As long as Jerry Dipoto is calling the shots, the Angels have a space reserved at the big boy table for any personnel move. Nothing is too big for them now. Nobody can doubt their resolve. It is an entirely new era of Angels baseball.
An era where they aren’t afraid to spend to get to a World Series.
An era where they might well overtake the Dodgers as the top team in Los Angeles.
An era where the Angels develop a national following.
It might also end up being an era where this one financial misstep ruins the team for more than a decade. That remains the big question mark here.
How long can Pujols earn the money? He turns 32 soon, so his prime is closing and closing fast. There is zero percent chance he is still worth the money by the time the contract is done. But can he earn eight years of it? Six years? Three years? Nobody knows. And that is only partly because nobody knows for sure what is real age is. Almost all the evidence points to him being honest about his age, but if we find out years from now that he is two or three years older and the rumors were true, then this contract is even more ridiculous than we thought.
Oh, and there are other small matters to decide too. Will the Angels still pursue C.J. Wilson? What happens to Trumbo? What happens to Morales? I’ll try and answer all that in a more calm manner later today. For now, I’m going to enjoy this because, frankly, I still cant even believe this is happening.