Three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols is moving west to the LA Angels.
Talk about rubbing salt in a fresh wound. If there was one positive note in the move to the American League for the Houston Astros, it was the fact they would no longer have to pitch to Albert Pujols so often.
Turns out the slugger will beat Houston to the AL West by a season and waiting in a Los Angeles Angels uniform when the Astros get there in 2013.
The Angels scored a daily double Thursday on the free agent market by signing both Pujols and left-hander CJ Wilson. Getting Wilson would have made a huge splash by itself since it adds to an already strong Angels rotation, weakens the rotation of AL West rival Texas and right under the Rangers' noses with the winter meetings being held in Dallas. Phat Albert's new deal is reportedly worth $254 million over 10 years while Wilson is beginning a 5-year contract worth $77.5 million.
Backed by Arte Moreno's money, new Halos GM Jerry DiPoto has certainly had an eventful first few weeks on the job. He's likely to remain busy after adding about $44 million to the payroll in Anaheim this fall. The Angels dealt pitcher Tyler Chatwood to Colorado in exchange for catcher Chris Iannetta, and will try to extend his contract a few years. Iannetta is set to make about $3.5 million in 2012.
The additions certainly push the Angels up the ranks of expectations in 2012, with Todd Fuhrman making them his favorite on the MLB futures chart to win the AL.
"Big moves for the Angels. You talk about a team that had a great pitching staff to begin with, topped with Dan Haren and Jered Weaver," the senior race and sports book analyst at Caesars Palace said. "Now you throw CJ Wilson into the mix, it has to make them the frontrunner not only in the AL West, but the frontrunner in the American League."
Fuhrman noted that LA's odds had dropped from 15/1 all the way down to 5/1.
The Angels haven't been the only active club so far this offseason, though signing both Pujols and Wilson certainly grabbed the headlines. Pujols was thought to be headed to the Miami Marlins earlier in the week before that possible deal fell through. The Marlins have added former Padres closer Heath Bell (3 yrs, $27M), former White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (4 yrs, $58M) and former Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (6 yrs, $106M) in recent days.
Texas earlier signed former Twins closer Joe Nathan to a 2-year, $14.5 million deal and was already making plans to shift their young closer, Neftali Felix, to the starting rotation before Wilson inked with the Angels. The Rangers are believed to still be looking at adding another arm or two before heading to spring training.
Iannetta became expendable in Colorado when the Rockies signed veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez (2 yrs, $6.4M). Colorado has also made two separate trades, sending 3B Ian Stewart and RHP Casey Weathers to the Cubs for OF Tyler Colvin and 2B DJ LeMahieu, plus dealing former closer Huston Street to San Diego for a player to be named later.
Prince Fielder remains the top free agent on the market, and now that Pujols' deal is done, Scott Boras will go to work for his client. There is a lot of buzz about Fielder signing with the Rangers, but Texas president Nolan Ryan has shot that talk down. The Mariners, Blue Jays and Cubs are also possibilities.
Two veteran arms are still out there, Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt, and both are reportedly on the radar of the Yankees and Red Sox. Kuroda has also been linked to the Diamondbacks while Oswalt is rumored to have the Washington Nationals among his suitors.
Wilson's nearly $80 million payday with the Angels might eventually pale in comparison to what Japanese sensation Yu Darvish receives. The 25-year-old righty will go through the posting system in search of a possible major league deal, with teams having until Dec. 14 to submit bids to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters for negotiation rights.
The Rangers are considered among the clubs that are very keen on landing Darvish, according to an ESPN report, with three AL East clubs -- New York, Boston and Toronto -- also listed as possibilities.