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UPDATE: Per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter), the contract does not include any opt-out clauses.
Albert Pujols has signed with the Los Angeles Angels and has agreed to a 10-year, $250-$260 million contract according to Buster Olney and Tim Brown. The final numbers aren't yet available per Ken Rosenthal, but the contract includes a full no-trade agreement.
Following on the heels of a rumored agreement with C.J. Wilson, the Angels are reportedly able to offer this size of a contract because of a new TV deal which might provide an additional $150 million per year when they had only been getting $50 million, according to Jon Heyman.
Pujols was widely expected at the start of the season to return to St. Louis, and take on a role as possibly the greatest Cardinal ever. Then, things started getting crazy when the Marlins' mystery money machine started churning and offered Pujols 10 years, $210M. After Miami signed Buehrle, Pujols and his agent pulled out of discussions with the team, leaving the Cardinals to compete with with a so-called mystery team. It's no longer a mystery, though. He's going to the Angels.
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Twitter / @Buster_ESPN
Pujols to the angels, done, sources say -
Twitter / @TBrownYahoo: Source: Pujols will sign w ...
Source: Pujols will sign with Angels for 10 years for between $250 and $260 million. Full no-trade. Pujols decided Thursday morning. -
Twitter / @BNightengale: Pujols prayed on the decis ...
Pujols prayed on the decision before calling angels this morning -
Twitter / @Ken_Rosenthal: Final Pujols number with # ...
Final Pujols number with #Angels still not determined: 10 years, between $250M and $260M. #MLB
It remains to be seen what happens next for the Halos, but I have to imagine that this may spurn the A's to go into full rebuilding mode. With two monster teams in their division, I'm not sure that there is room for them to compete on their comparative shoestring budget in 2012.
Be sure to see the reactions over at Halos Heaven, the SBNation Angels website(Note: They're pretty happy), and over at Viva El Birdos, the SBNation Cardinals website (Note: Not quite so happy).
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