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From Will Leitch at NY magazine:
Albert Pujols and the Cardinals were linked in the way that Derek Jeter and the Yankees are linked, the way that Cal Ripken and the Orioles were linked, the way that Tony Gwynn and the Padres were linked. That is one of baseball's unique pleasures: The way one man can become an institution in a place, someone who 5-year-olds can talk about with 85-year-olds. Albert Pujols is not a bad person for leaving the Cardinals, and the Cardinals are not less of a franchise for losing him. This was rational actors acting rationally. There is nothing anyone should be ashamed of here. It still feels like we all lost something. It still feels like something everyone's gonna end up regretting. It still feels wrong. I suspect it always will.
Leitch also points out that Puljols is 32 and not in the best of shape. A 10-year deal with the Angels might be pushing it.
Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted
until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.