Free agent first baseman Albert Pujols decided on Thursday morning that he will join the Los Angeles Angels in a 10-year deal worth at least $250 million and featuring a full no-trade clause, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports. Here is exactly what Brown had to say, via Twitter:
Source: Pujols will sign with Angels for 10 years for between $250 and $260 million. Full no-trade. Pujols decided Thursday morning.
The report was also corroborated by Buster Olney:
Pujols to the angels, done, sources say
Follow the latest developments on the signing in the SB Nation stream. Pujols had reportedly wanted to become the highest paid player in the MLB, but this reported deal won't quite get that done. Although Pujols will average between $25 million and $26 million per year, Alex Rodriguez will remain the highest paid player under his current deal that has an average value of $27.5 million annually.
The Cardinals had reportedly raised their offer to 10-years and $220 million recently, but it simply couldn't come close to the deal offered by the Angels. As for where this leaves the St. Louis Cardinals, they will have to regroup and try to salvage something positive from these winter meetings.
Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Cardinals be sure to visit Viva El Birdos. Visit Baseball Nation for more news and notes around the league. For more on the Angels, visit our SB Nation Angels site Halos Heaven.