OC Register: Albert Pujols to play winter ball, eyes return to majors in 2022, source says

[AngelsWin.com]

Albert Pujols will be playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic for the first time in his career, which is a sign that he “for sure” would like to play in the majors in 2022, said a source close to Pujols.

Pujols will play for Escogido in the Dominican Republic, per a team announcement Thursday. The season runs through January, and the source said Pujols is not intending on a merely ceremonial trip around the league to say goodbye.

¡Si, leyeron bien! Albert Pujols es nuestro nuevo LEÓN, quién llega a nuestro equipo vía cambio desde los Gigantes que reciben a Edward Paredes y Melky Mesa. ¡RUGE! #LaTemporadadelSiglo #CentenarioRojo pic.twitter.com/VXRmfFzHF9

— Escogido Baseball (@EscogidoBBClub) October 28, 2021

Pujols, 41, finished the 2021 season with the Dodgers, after the Angels released him in May with 4 1/2 months to go on his 10-year contract. Pujols hit .236 with 17 homers and a .717 OPS in 204 plate appearances. With the Dodgers, Pujols hit .254 with 12 homers and a .759 OPS. The Dodgers used him mostly against left-handed pitchers. He had a .939 OPS against lefties, and a .500 OPS against righties.

Although Pujols was noncommital about his plans beyond 2021, the signs were pointing to a desire to continue playing throughout his last months with the Dodgers.

A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Pujols now has 679 career homers, so he may be motivated by the desire to become the fifth player ever to reach 700.

Obviously, if Pujols performs poorly in the Dominican, his plan for next year could change. It’s also possible that, even if Pujols wants to play, he doesn’t get a contract.

Certainly, the market for Pujols would be improved if – as expected – the new collective bargaining agreement expands the use of the designated hitter to the National League.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he appreciated the value Pujols brought to the Dodgers, and he could do so for whatever team might sign him in 2022.

“I think Albert can do whatever he wants to do and if he wants to play next year he’s certainly going to be a really good contributor to whatever ball club,” Roberts said during the National League Championship Series.

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“You learn not to bet against Hall of Fame ballplayers because they understand what it takes to have success and they understand how their bodies, skill set might have changed or diminished a little bit because of age, which happens to everyone, but how to still be productive. He’s a winning baseball player and he’s been huge for us.”

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[jsnpritchett]

[ukyah]

so the dodgers, who are among the best in baseball analytically, were able to use him as a lefty specialist and still managed to only squeeze slightly improved numbers out of that dead fish. albert was way more likeable, as a player, from afar. his selfishness is profound.

 

[ukyah]

5 minutes ago, cals said:

Remember when you guys were adamant that his career was over when the Angels released him?

is it not?

[ukyah]

Just now, cals said:

Now? I don’t know.  

his career has been over for years. he's just chasing numbers and doing nothing. Tio! 

[Angel Oracle]

My only reaction to this news:

He can’t play 1B anymore, and can’t hit righties worth bleep.

Who’s going to sign a guy who will only DH some 60 games (vs lefties)?

Denial is NOT a river in Egypt.

Edited October 28, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Inside Pitch]

Mentoring "a lo dominicano".

What a Renaissance man!

[Taylor]

[T.G.]

Fortunately, the Angels don't have enough scouts to send to the Dominican Winter League to see him play.

[halonatic13]

He's going to sign a 1 game deal with St. Louis and be done with it.

[ScottT]

Pujols vs LHP

2021: .294/.336/.603

2020: .231/.242/.385

2019: .261/.315/.515

2018: .200/.274/400

2017: .230/.291/.317

 

 

[ukyah]

1 hour ago, cals said:

If he does really well I could see Arte at least considering bringing him back cheap.  He looks at it from a dollar cost averaging prospective. If you get him for a productive year at 1 million, then it takes the sting away from those terrible 30 million  dollars years a bit.

i'm sure both sides are chomping at the bit for a return after the angels unceremoniously dumped his ass on the street.

[Angel Oracle]

Just hang up the cleats.

Trying to play at age 44 in 2022 is not advisable.

[Taylor]

3 hours ago, cals said:

Remember when you guys were adamant that his career was over when the Angels released him?

[Taylor]

12 minutes ago, cals said:

I thought you were at halo hangout now 

I didn't pass the physical, although @True Grich thinks I blackmailed my way out of the trade using certain incriminating photos of Chuck.

 

[T.G.]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

I didn't pass the physical, although @True Grich thinks I blackmailed my way out of the trade using certain incriminating photos of Chuck.

 

Which would explain why you haven't been DFA'd

[Angelsjunky]

He really wants 700 HR, but I'm not sure he'll get enough playing time to hit 21 next year.

The weird thing about Albert is that as bad as he's been the last five years, he hasn't gotten worse. Here are his wRC+ the last five years: 77, 88, 90, 76, 90. You'd think he'd start creaping down, but he's been within a 14-point range.

Also, Albert hasn't slugged .500 since the first Obama term. Think about that.

[jsnpritchett]

13 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Also, Albert hasn't slugged .500 since the first Obama term. Think about that.

He has lost 64 points off of his career slugging percentage since the Angels signed him.

[Hubs]

4 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Just hang up the cleats.

Trying to play at age 44 in 2022 is not advisable.

He turns 42 officially end of January. He is gonna be 45 in actuality lol

[Taylor]

Admin? More like abmin.

[Taylor]

Top paged

[jsnpritchett]

6 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Top paged

[AngelsLakersFan]

If Albert was serious about playing he wouldn't have put on 60 pounds of lard the last ten years.

[Docwaukee]

-3.3 WAR over the last 5 years.  

[ukyah]

4 hours ago, Hubs said:

He turns 42 officially end of January. He is gonna be 45 in actuality lol

he's likely actually 47. he fucked up one time in an interview and said he and octavio dotel were the same age and played together at one point. he backtracked really hard, but he was the st louis machine and no one was going to pursue that.

 

edit: i just hunted down and reread the interview and you're right. he said dotel was a couple years older than him and that would put him at 45.