Albert Pujols Fits The Angels Perfectly

When the reports came out that Albert Pujols wanted a 10 year contract for over $200 million, I said that the team who signs Pujols will regret the deal half way through the 10 years.  I said this because the teams who were reported in talks with Pujols were all National League teams.

Bring in the Angels.  After signing a number of bad contracts over the past few years it was believed that the Angels took themselves out of the running for Pujols.  I was one of those believers and stated that the signing of Vernon Wells tied Angels owner Arte Moreno’s hands.  Moreno himself said that he would not increase payroll which would be around $105 million.

When the report came out that the Angels signed Pujols to a 10 year $254 million contract, I thought two things.  Arte Moreno is the best owner in baseball and the huge contract that I said will hurt a National League team, fits the Angels perfectly.

The Angels now have the best player in baseball playing first base which in my opinion makes the Angels the team to beat.  Even if Pujols’s body starts to impact his defense at first base then they can always move him to DH.  On top of the obvious fact that the signing makes the Angels instant contenders to win the World Series, the 10 year contract adds so much more.

During the 10 years the Angels will have a huge bump in attendance.  That might sound like a no-brainer but that fact is much bigger then you think.  It hurts the Dodgers.  It will take away fans from the Dodgers.  People will be talking about the Angels and not, you guessed it, the Dodgers.  Its a calculated power move to try and dethrone the Dodgers who have been sitting on top of the LA market with no chance of the Angels ever knocking them off.

Pujols will also be chasing every record in baseball.  Even in the final years of his contract, when his bat can’t do what it once could, fans will show up to see him break “insert name here” record.

As a Dodgers fan I hate all of this.  I hate it because I’m jealous and understand that the Dodgers will now be looking up at the Angels.  The Angels just signed a 20 year deal with Fox Sports worth $3 Billion.  What will the Dodgers get?  If it’s not at least the same amount of money, if not more, then not only have the Angels stuck the dagger in the Dodger hearts but they did it with a billion dollar smile.