Saint Louis.- The contract that the Dominican Albert Pujols agreed to work for the next ten years, after his retirement, with the Angels has raised many doubts for the fans of San Luis, with whom he met again last season.
The soon-to-become deal Pujols is the last of its kind in Major League Baseball: a 10-year personal services agreement with the Angels that pays him $1 million a year.
The rare deal with the Angels invites questions about what it means for the Cards’ rekindled relationship with Pujols.
He will be eligible for fan vote into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2026, his National Baseball Hall of Fame induction is likely to follow in July 2028, and sometime in that time frame is expected. that Pujols’ No. 5 will be retired by the Cardinals.
“There’s nothing in the contract that prohibits him from … being honored by the Cardinals” or participating in those events, a source with knowledge of the contract said.
The Los Angeles Times described how the deal “essentially gives the Angels exclusive rights to Pujols for the first 10 years of his retirement.”
Club president John Carpino told the newspaper that Pujols will work with players at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic and will be on hand as a coach or mentor during spring training. “He will be like an ambassador for the team,” Carpino recently told the Times.
Asked by a reporter if the contract would prevent Pujols from similar involvement with the Cardinals — spring training appearances or advisory roles, for example — Caprino said, “Possibly.”
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