The 2021 MLB season could be the final one for one of the all-time great baseball players. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Albert Pujols has not decided if 2021 will be his final season in the Major Leagues. There was speculation Monday night that the Los Angeles Angles star was going to make his retirement announcement after his wife, Deidre, stated on Instagram that 2021 would be his final season. That post was quickly edited.
“This is not an official statement of Pujols retirement,” Deidre said at the start of the Instagram post. “I’m simply sending my husband with blessing into the 2021 season.” Deidre goes on to talk about Pujols’ career as he’s entering the final year of his contract. He signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels after the 2011 season.
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“Today is the first day of the last season (based on his contract) of one of the most remarkable careers in sports! I’m talking about my husband [Albert Pujols] who since the time he was a child would eat, sleep, and breath (sic) this sport. I have had the privilege to walk out 23 years of this baseball journey and it is with such a full heart that I speak a blessing over him as he finishes this good race!” Part of Pujols’ contract includes a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract he can choose if he does call it a career.
Pujols, 41, played in 39 of the 60 games last season. He finished the year with six home runs, 25 RBIs and a .224 batting average. In his nine seasons with the Angels, Puljos has recorded 217 home runs, 771 RBIs and a batting average of .257. His best season was in 2015 when hit 40 homers and drove in 40 runs. 2015 was the last year Pujols was selected to play in the All-Star game.
Spending his first 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols was arguably the best player in the 2000s decade. He was named an all-star nine times won the NL MVP Award three times and helped the Cardinals win two World Series. In his 20-year career, Pujols has tallied 3,236 hits, 662 home runs and 2,1000 RBIs.
