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A hypothetical St. Louis Cardinals offseason blueprint
By Ben Remis
So this movie is a bit nostalgic. I grew up with Albert Pujols. He was pretty much my entire childhood as a Cardinal fan, so in this hypothetical scenario, I have to bring him back to St. Louis. With that said, just hear me out for a minute– if the DH comes to the National League, Albert is a pretty awesome option when facing a left-handed pitcher.
Once he signed with the Dodgers, Albert found another level. He hit .224/.270/.395, but against lefties, those numbers jump to .303/.347/.606. Not to mention that in the postseason, Albert hit .312 and scored two runs. No surprise that he can deliver in big moments.
Here’s what I wrote when Albert became a free agent six months ago:
"And with the Cardinals boasting one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, [Pujols] wouldn’t be required to do much. Albert also makes sense as leader and clubhouse guy. You think he doesn’t have any advice for young players? Mike Trout got to learn from Albert, who says Dylan Carlson wouldn’t benefit? I bet Nolan Arenado would like to pick the brain of Pujols, too."
This still holds true, and I haven’t even begun to mention how beautiful and poetic this move would be. Albert, Yadi, and Waino riding into the sunset under the Arch together? Are you kidding me? Some things are bigger than baseball.
This might be why I’m not actually leading the front office of a major league team, but I just don’t know why the Cardinals wouldn’t reunite themselves with Albert for 2022. He’d be a great mentor for Gorman, Yepez, and the other young guys. He’d have a clearly defined role. And Cardinal Nation would rejoice to see their beloved star at home. The bench needs some pop– let’s see if number five has any magic left.