Albert Pujols Rumors
By Editorial Staff
The Albert Pujols drama didn’t slow down a bit yesterday, as many believed the future Hall of Famer would make his final decision Wednesday. This didn’t happen and the Pujols sweepstakes roll on, but things did seem to get a little clearer through the haze of rumors and speculation. Here is a rundown of the latest Albert Pujols rumors.
The big news yesterday was that the Miami Marlins officially pulled out of discussions and are no longer in the Pujols bidding. Early yesterday, the Marlins presented Pujols with what they called their final offer. After the signing of Mark Buehrle, the Marlins apparently pulled out of the Pujols sweepstakes. According to Pujols’s representation, they informed the Marlins they were no longer in play for Albert. Regardless, it now seems the Marlins will not be signing Pujols this winter.
But the announcement that Miami was no longer in the running for Pujols didn’t kill the buzz surrounding the slugging first baseman. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that, even with the Marlins out, Pujols still had three $200 million-plus offers on the table.
While the Cardinals were known to have extended such an offer, the Angels became the other known club to reach out to Pujols Wednesday.
That left a third ‘mystery team’. Some guessed that Pujols’s agent had invented this unknown club to help drive up his client’s contract, while others speculated that the Cubs or perhaps a team that already has a solid first baseman could still be involved.
At the moment, the Cardinals still sit as the favorites to re-sign Pujols. The Angels are “seriously pursuing” C.J. Wilson and, even though they claim they can sign both, Ken Rosenthol of Fox Sports doesn’t think they will be able to.
While it seemed that a decision was imminent yesterday, it’s now being reported that Pujols will likely not sign until after the Winter Meetings. How soon after the Meetings is still TBD.
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