Pujols Signs 10-Year/$250 Million Contract With Angels
DALLAS, Texas (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Marlins pulled out of the Albert Pujols sweepstakes Wednesday afternoon, and now the reason behind that is abundantly clear.
Pujols agreed Thursday morning to a 10-year contract worth more than $250 million with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Angels were the last team to join in the pursuit of Pujols, but offered a ridiculous sum of money that Pujols couldn't resist.
Obviously, the Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals were not willing to commit that kind of cash to a player who will be around 42-years-old by the time the contract finally ends.
In addition, Pujols received a no-trade clause from the Angels, meaning the team can't move him at all even when he begins to break down as the contract winds down in the later years.
According to MLB.com's Jon Heyman, the linchpin to getting the money to sign Pujols was a new television deal that will bring the team up to $150 million per season.
The team's previous TV deal only paid $50 million per season, according to Heyman.
The Cardinals reported final offer was more than $200 million, but it wasn't significantly more than the contract the team offered before the 2011 season.
For the Marlins, the team will probably begin taking a hard look at two players: C.J. Wilson and Prince Fielder.
Wilson has a standing 6-year contract offer from the Marlins, but also has a 5-year deal with the Angels on the table.
Fielder's name hasn't been at the top of the free agency list, but his value just went way up with the Pujols deal.
