In 2003, Arte Moreno bought the Anaheim Angels for $184 Million, today he spent $331.5 Million on two players -- last year's ace of a Texas Rangers ball club that made it's second consecutive World Series appearance in C.J. Wilson and arguably the greatest hitter to ever step foot on a baseball diamond in Albert Pujols. Less than 24 hours ago the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins were leading the Albert Pujols sweepstakes along with another unnamed team. This morning that unnamed team was revealed as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim emerged to snag the 3-time NL MVP and former batting champion, shaking and reshaping the Major League landscape as we know it in the process.
The pair of blockbuster moves began with Pujols and the Angels agreeing on a 10 year, $254 Million contract which includes a no-trade clause and is second in Major League history only behind Alex Rodriguez' record-setting 10 year, $275 Million deal with the Yankees signed back in 2007. The Angels followed the mammoth signing of Pujols by inking Wilson to a five year deal worth $77.5 Million.
Having amassed 10 straight seasons with a batting average of .300 or higher with at least 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in, Pujols is coming off what was considered a down year in which he still managed to hit .299 with 37 homers and 99 RBI's despite an early slump coupled with a wrist injury that sidelined the 2-time Gold Glove Award winner for two weeks. With Pujols hitting in a lineup that's expected to welcome back one of it's top run producers in Kendrys Morales next year who's missed the last season and a half due to a fractured ankle, the Angels should see a drastic increase in the runs department, an area in which Anaheim finished in the middle of the pack in 2011. The addition of Pujols also erases the dreaded memory Angels fans had following the 2008 season when the team failed to sign their mid-season acquisition Mark Teixeira to a contract extension before eventually losing him via free agency to the Yankees. The Angels front-office made up for it by landing a future Hall of Fame first baseman who can eventually be moved to a designated-hitter role in the latter part of his career.
As for Wilson who Angels fans became quite familiar with the past few seasons serving out of a pitching staff with the division-rival Texas Rangers, the 2011 All-Star will most likely be plugged into the no. 3 spot in an Angels rotation that includes Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana. With an already lethal front three, the addition of Wilson easily makes Anaheim's rotation one of the best in the American League as well as leave a dent in Texas' pitching staff. The 31 year old left-hander will be returning to his old stomping grounds as Wilson grew up just a stone's throw away from Angels Stadium in Orange County. Last year Wilson logged a solid regular season finishing with a win-loss record of 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 223 1/3 innings over 34 starts, but suffered from a poor postseason where he went 1-5 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 games (9 starts). Many thought his sub-par performance in the postseason would decrease his value, but with a new contract worth more than $70 Million I think it's safe to say he did alright.
While the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim get set to kick off an era in which they think will bring the ball club its first World Series title since 2002, the St. Louis Cardinals on the other hand are preparing for the post-Pujols era less than two months after he helped them claim their 11th Championship in franchise history. Though the Cardinals still have a nucleus of talent on offense, Pujols' departure leaves a void that only free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder can fill. And with the money still in tact that the organization tried offering to Pujols, don't be surprised if they end up spending it on a much younger slugger named Prince.
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