USA Today, ESPN, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and MLB.com are reporting that baseball superstar Albert Pujols has agreed to a 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
USA Today, citing "a person involved in the negotiations," says the deal is worth $250 million. ESPN and the Post-Dispatch also have that figure. MLB.com says its sources say the deal could reach $260 million. Either way, it rivals the 10-year contracts that third basemen Alex Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers in 2001 (for $252 million) and the New York Yankees in 2008 (for $275 million), USA Today notes.
Pujols, a free agent, would be moving from the National League's St. Louis Cardinals, the team he's played for in all 11 of his major league seasons, to the American League.
Considered by most experts to be the best active player, he's primarily a first basemen. Pujols has 445 career home runs and a .328 career batting average. (His MLB.com stats are posted here.) Pujols is a nine-time All-Star and three-time National League Most Valuable Player, MLB.com adds. He turns 32 in January.
Pujols' departure would mean the Cardinals team, which won this year's World Series, has now lost its manager (Tony La Russa retired) and its best player. During the Series, Pujols had what might be the greatest night ever for a batter in the Fall Classic when he hit three home runs and batted in six runs.
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