Where Does Albert Go From Here?

When the Angels announced that they were releasing Albert Pujols, I was surprised but not totally shocked.  After all, he hasn't been ALBERT PUJOLS in years and had been relegated to a part-time role (which, frankly, he should be at his age).  But, it was also the last year of his contract, so I figured they'd let this season play out, then go their separate ways.  Albert had indicated he was thinking about retiring after this season, and that scenario is what seemed most likely.

However, I can also see why the Angels didn't want to have a guy making $20 million who really can only DH at this point sitting on the bench taking up a roster spot, especially if he wasn't going to play.  After all, part of the reason Albert's numbers this season are so poor is because of how little playing time he actually got, and, even for a future Hall of Famer, it's hard to get into a rhythm when you don't play.

Did anyone expect his tenure in Anaheim to end like this?  Of course not!  But that contract has been weighing the Angels down for quite some time.  Simply put, he's hasn't been worth it in years.  He's not the same player he was during his prime in St. Louis and has gradually been seeing his playing time decrease over the past several seasons.  But, there was also very little they could do about it because he had 10-and-5 rights and nobody was gonna be stupid enough to take on that contract anyway!

Eating only one year of the deal, though?  That's a different story!  That suddenly made DFAing Pujols a viable option, especially for a major-market team like the Angels.  The only question then became whether it was worth it to pay a guy $20 million not to play for you.  They decided it was.  (In fairness, they were basically already paying him $20 million not to play for them, so this isn't really much different.)

So I do agree with the Angels' choice of words about their decision.  It does seem to be "mutually beneficial."  By DFAing him, it freed up the roster spot immediately.  Assuming he clears waivers, they'll release him, which makes Albert a free agent and gives him the chance to decide what he'll do next.  They won't decide for him (which they couldn't anyway since he has 10-and-5 rights).  A win-win.

Albert has indicated he doesn't want to go out like this.  He still wants to play and thinks he can contribute for somebody this year, even if it's just until the end of the season before he retires.  So, even though his options are extremely limited, I do think Albert will catch on with somebody for the final three-quarters of his final Major League season.

At first, the Chicago White Sox seemed like a very realistic option.  They've had a slew of injuries to regulars, and Albert would've been able to get regular at-bats at DH while also spelling Jose Abreu at first a few times a week.  However, Tony La Russa, Pujols' longtime manager in St. Louis, said that the White Sox unfortunately don't have the room for him.

There seems to be a consensus that he'd only be a fit for an American League team where he can get his at-bats as a DH, but I don't necessarily think that's the case.  National League teams need pinch hitters, so he could sign with an NL team and still be able to get plenty of at-bats hitting for the pitcher while also making an occasional start at first base.  So I'm including National League teams in my list of potential Pujols landing places.  Places like...

• Cincinnati: Joey Votto has a broken thumb and will be out for a month, so Pujols could get regular starts at first base in his absence, then move into a pinch-hitting role.  The Reds have a ton of power among their regular lineup, but not much off the bench.  He'd solve that problem.
  
  
• Dodgers: It sounds crazy, but hear me out.  I can definitely see Albert heading across the Freeway.  The Dodgers' title defense is off to a shaky start, mainly because of their numerous injuries.  They aren't as deep as last year, but they still have a ton of players who can play anywhere, so they'd be able to afford having him on the roster just to pinch hit once a game.  And what a weapon off the bench!  They're also very left-handed, so he helps there, too.  Plus, he wouldn't have to move.
  
  
• St. Louis: Maybe this is just me being sentimental, but how cool would it be for him to end his career where it began?  It'd be like Hank Aaron on the Brewers or Willie Mays (Happy 90th!) on the Mets.  No, he obviously wouldn't start over Paul Goldschmidt, but you know Cardinals fans would love to have him back!  He wouldn't be the first player to end a Hall of Fame career on his original team, either (most recently, Ichiro and Ken Griffey, Jr. both returned to the Mariners at the end).
  
  
• Texas: The Rangers aren't going anywhere this season.  Everybody knows that.  Which means signing a future Hall of Famer to DH for them in his final season would be a great way to sell tickets.  They had Shin-Soo Choo DHing last year, but he's playing in Korea now and they never really replaced him.  Albert's better than anybody they do have.  He could conceivably play a good amount of first base for the Rangers, too.
  
  
• Seattle: With the White Sox out, I'm including the Mariners as one of the five teams most likely to sign Albert.  Like the Rangers, they're not going anywhere.  Like the Rangers, he'd be an instant upgrade over whoever they've got playing DH on a given day.  Unlike the Rangers, he probably wouldn't get the chance to play much first base.

Of course, retirement is always an option, too.  I hope that's not what happens, though.  Because Albert Pujols doesn't deserve to go out like this.  He's one of the all-time greats, and he deserves to say goodbye on the field.  If this is it, though.  Wow!  What a career!