Albert Pujols, Dodgers agree to deal for rest of season

Albert Pujols is staying in Los Angeles: He and the Dodgers have agreed to a major league contract for the rest of the season, Jorge Castillo of the LA Times reports.

The Pujols signing comes just over a week after the Angels let the future Hall of Famer go. Pujols then garnered interest from a few teams, including the Cardinals – with whom he had his greatest success – but the first baseman will join a Dodgers team aiming for its second consecutive World Series championship. He’ll presumably serve as a bench bat for the Dodgers, who have relied on Max Muncy at first base for most of 2021.

Pujols is far from the superstar he once was, but the Dodgers obviously believe the 10-time All-Star, three-time MVP and future Hall of Famer will give them a credible bat in a part-time role. The 41-year-old hasn’t produced much since his stark decline began in 2017, having batted .240/.289/.405 (84 wRC+) with 76 home runs in 1,934 plate appearances over the past four-plus seasons.

Pujols also got off to an ugly .198/.250/.372 start with five home runs in 92 PA this year before the Angels parted with him, but there were some positives during that span. He was the victim of a ridiculously low .176 batting average on balls in play, .110 points below his career mark, and at least a few Statcast numbers suggest he deserved better during his final month-plus with the Angels. For instance, Pujols’ .347 expected weighted on-base average far outdoes his .270 wOBA.

Considering Pujols’ weak bottom-line production over the past few seasons, this signing might not amount to much for the Dodgers. But it’s a low-risk move for them, and it gives Pujols an opportunity to chase his third World Series ring as he nears the end of his marvelous career.