Of course, if you're reading this, chances are you haven't had a chance to earn $50 mil yet. Or $1 million. Heck some of you, like myself, probably have less than $1,000 in your bank account right now. Albert Pujols has earned $104,040,436 in his career playing baseball (numbers according to baseball reference). And as always is the case with Super-Duper Stars, that doesn't include endorsements.
By the time his shiny new 10 year, $250 million contract runs out with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Albert Pujols will have earned approximately $355 million off of baseball. Had he opted to stay in St. Louis, that number would have been about $305 million.
What's the extra $50 worth?
Apparently, more than the distinction of going down as the greatest player in St. Louis Cardinals history. And with all due respect to Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, and Ozzie Smith, that's exactly what Albert was going to wind up as. Guess there is indeed a price tag on one's legacy.
In terms of loyalty, Pujols didn't owe the Cardinals much. He won 2 World Series during his time in St. Louis. Each time the Cardinals were significant underdogs heading into October. He raises his game ever so slightly in the post-season, from a .328 hitter April-September to a .330 hitter in October. A 1.037 vs. 1.046 OPS. During his stay in the gateway to the west, which spanned 11 seasons, the Cardinals finished below .500 exactly once. They made the post-season 7 times. Pujols himself finished in the top-5 of MVP voting ten times, winning it on 3 occasions. Musial finished in the top-5 nine times, also winning 3 such honors. His 445 home runs are the most over the first 11 seasons of a career ever. More than Babe Ruth. More than Hank Aaron. More than Barry Bonds. More than Alex Rodriguez.
Pujols is also a guy who's never been linked to steroid use, making him part of a very select list. He even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated once, declaring "don't be afraid to believe me".
And also to be clear here, Pujols didn't embellish his free agency power like a certain basketball player who took his talents to South Beach once upon a time. And it's not as though he joined the Cubs, the Cardinals' arch-rival, which definitely would have sent splinters across the baseball landscape.
But in the end, Albert Pujols decided that his legacy in St. Louis wasn't worth $200 million. It wasn't worth anything to him, as a matter of fact. I'm also surprised the Cardinals didn't make a last ditch effort to perhaps meet him in the middle at $225 mil or so. Maybe the Cardinals brass knows that he'll be worth (in baseball terms) $25 million for a few years, but after that, he'll be a hindrance to their organization. Look at what's going on with the Yankees and A-Rod. Personally I can't take my eyes off it.
And hey, it was his last chance to get paid a massive payday. I can't fault him for that. But 5 years from now, when his body starts to break down at age 37 or so, will he still think it was worth it? When Angels fans are going to be complaining about his albatross of a contract? He's a hired gun there, and he'll get no sympathy from his one-time fans in St. Louis either. Albert Pujols, I thought, would be a player to buck the trend and stick to loyalty. Guess he's not above the cardinal sin of being all about the money, after all.
One last note here: The Angels failed to re-sign John Lackey in 2009, and failed in their pursuit of Carl Crawford in 2010. Their consolation prize is the best player in the game? That's cold.
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