Evan+S

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** Pujols turned down an offer from the Cardinals, the only team he has ever played for, to go and play for the Los Angeles Angels o **** n December 10, 2011. Pujols signed a ten-year deal with the Angels, worth around $254 million after being a **** reliable first basemen and a great hitter for the cardinals for almost 10 years. ** **The Cardinals planned to talk with Pujols' agent one more time before going back to St. Louis, but the Cardinals' latest offer was for nine years and a little less than $200 million. That would have made him the fourth-highest paid first baseman. With the Angels deal, he is the top paid first baseman.** **Tony La Russa** **felt that neither the Cardinals nor Pujols is to blame for him leaving, saying that the Cardinals did everything they could and that Pujols just got offered a contract from the Angels that was too good to pass up. Tony stated his opinion by saying, "To Albert's credit, probably the most important message that I'd like to leave this morning is -- because I heard last night when I was driving around, a couple of commentators are saying, 'Well, no loyalty just for a couple million dollars' -- that's not true. He was ready to give a significant edge to the Cardinals, but the difference to where the Cardinals could go (and where the angels could go, as in an amount of money) -- and I don't blame the Cardinals at all -- was just too great."** ** Do you think it was a good idea for Albert to leave the Cardinals and why do you think he did it? ** ======

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 * I think that Albert left the Cardinals simply because the Angels were offering him an overall better deal. I don't think it will be good for the Cardinals that he left because they will not be as good without him (but they will still be good). However, I do think it was good for himself that he left because he will now be 254 million dollars richer and have a guaranteed career in baseball for ten more years. **======