The St. Louis Cardinals announced in the last couple of days that franchise icon Albert Pujols will be returning home for the 2022 season.
To make things more dramatic and nostalgic, it will Pujols’ last season in MLB: he will get to say goodbye with his friends Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, with which he won two World Series in 2006 and 2011.
The terms of the deal dictate that he will get $2.5 million as a base salary, with the possibility of earning some performance incentives along the way.
Pujols is 42, and he is well past his prime.
He remains a steady contributor against lefties and slugged 17 home runs last year, so there is still some pop in his right-handed bat to help the Cardinals when a lefty is on the mound.
The Cardinals are hyped, fans are ecstatic, and Pujols is thrilled: everyone seems to be happy about the return of the king of St. Louis.
The team official Twitter account took advantage of the talk revolving Pujols to find and publish some old photos.
Did a deep dive into the archives 🤩 pic.twitter.com/YK2gshdZfm
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 29, 2022
Pujols Will Say Goodbye In Front Of His Loyal Fans
It’s hard when we realize that most of those pictures are, at least, a decade old, probably more.
Time passes for everybody, but memories remain forever with us.
And we have a pretty clear picture of Pujols hitting World Series homers, making big plays at third base, and driving in teammates with a double to the gaps.
Before going to Los Angeles in 2012, ‘The Machine’ won two Fall Classics, three MVP awards, one NLCS MVP award, six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and was a nine-time All-Star.
He build an incredible legacy in St. Louis, and he will get to say goodbye under his own terms.
It will be magical.
NEXT: Cardinals Make It Official With Albert Pujols