Sources: Pujols joining Dodgers after Angels exit
- Joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Los Angeles Rams
- Previously covered the Angels for MLB.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers and first baseman Albert Pujols are in agreement on a major league contract, sources told ESPN on Saturday, confirming a report by the Los Angeles Times.
The agreement isn’t expected to become official until Monday, a source said.
Pujols, in the last year of his 10-year, $240 million contract, was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on May 6 and was officially released on Thursday after clearing waivers.
Pujols, 41, would seemingly be coming in for a part-time role. Max Muncy has started 32 of the Dodgers’ first 38 games at first base, but he also provides the versatility to help at third base and second base, which would open up some playing time for Pujols at first base.
The Dodgers entered Saturday with a .663 OPS against opposing left-handed pitchers this season, .136 less than the team’s OPS against righties.
Pujols, one of the best right-handed-hitters in baseball history, could help with that. Pujols was batting only .198/.250/.372 in his first 92 plate appearances this season, but his .513 expected slugging percentage suggested he had also been running into some bad luck.
He is fifth in major league history with 667 homers and 13th with 3,253 hits. A three-time National League MVP and two-time World Series champion with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols has a .298 career average and .921 OPS. He is a 10-time All-Star and had been the oldest active player in the major leagues.
Pujols was in a 7-for-43 slump at the time he was cut.
He batted .328 with a 1.037 OPS in St. Louis, but hit .256 with a .758 OPS in Anaheim along with 222 homers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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