Cardinals Rumors: Albert Pujols not ready to retire

The St. Louis Cardinals will be connected to Albert Pujols this offseason. A lot. It’s happened already and it’s only just getting started.

But Pujols is 41. He’s deep into the back-nine of his career and is a part-time player at this point. Would he even consider playing in 2022?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes, according to Pujols, who indicated to reporters that he has no plans to retire this offseason. He is in his native Dominican Republic playing in the winter league and recorded a walk-off hit in his first game, trying to show teams that he’s still effective and worthy of a spot on a team’s major-league roster.

Pujols showed that he is after signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in May after parting ways with the Angels. He thrived against left-handed pitching, hitting .294 with 13 home runs and a .939 OPS in 146 plate appearances. As a pinch hitter, he hit .359 with a .908 OPS in 43 at-bats, a very limited sample size.

Albert Pujols will come up in Cardinals rumors this offseason

That’s where the Cardinals come into play. That’s exactly the kind of role he’d have in St. Louis, given that Paul Goldschmidt is their unquestioned starter at first base. And if the National League implements the designated hitter, something that is largely expected at this point, Pujols’ spot on the roster becomes even more clear.

Ultimately, it’s likely that Pujols signs with the Cardinals. It will likely be his last season in baseball and what better way to go out than with Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, who are both going to hang it up after this season? Of course, you don’t win a World Series with nostalgia, but Pujols can still be an impact player. He can help a team in the regular season and the postseason.

Which is why signing Pujols makes sense – and since he is not going to retire, should be on the list of targets for president of baseball operations John Mozeliak this winter.