Angels reach 10-year deal with Albert Pujols
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Bridesmaids in so many of their recent winter pursuits, the Angels made the biggest free-agent splash in their team history Thursday morning when they reached an agreement with slugger Albert Pujols on a 10-year deal for at least $250 million.
[Updated at 7:31 a.m. Dec. 8] The agreement, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports and includes a full no-trade clause, was confirmed by a person familiar with negotiations but who is not authorized to speak about it until it was officially announced.
It appeared Pujols would be heading back to St. Louis after the Miami Marlins pulled their 10-year, $220-million offer to the slugger Wednesday. The Cardinals had offered Pujols nine years and more than $200 million.
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[Updated at 7:31 a.m. Dec. 8] But the Angels, who missed out on free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira after the 2009 season and outfielder Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre after 2010, swooped in Wednesday night with their offer, and Pujols decided to accept. Angels owner Arte Moreno had called Pujols personally Wednesday.
Pujols, 31, has played his entire career in St. Louis, putting together a Hall of Fame resume that includes a .328 average, .420 on-base percentage, 445 home runs and 1,329 runs batted in.
His bat would provide a significant boost to an Angels lineup that ranked 10th in the American League with 667 runs last season.
His contract would also be worth almost $70 million more than the $183 million Arte Moreno paid for the team in 2003.
For more on the agreement, go to www.latimes.com
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-- Mike DiGiovanna in Dallas
Photo: Albert Pujols during the 2011 playoffs. Credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images.