Cardinals: Bill DeWitt indicates Albert Pujols reunion is unlikely

Despite reports of recent interest, St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt indicates that an Albert Pujols reunion is unlikely.

Albert Pujols is a Cardinals legend. He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame representing the organization and there is no doubting that he forever changed baseball in St. Louis.

It’s why Pujols, a free agent, has been heavily linked to the Cardinals. There have been reports that a potential reunion could be in the works, though as written on Sunday, such a scenario felt highly unlikely. And Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. threw more cold water on the possibility when speaking to reporters in Jupiter, Fla.

“[John Mozeliak and I] haven’t talked much about our team, to be honest,” DeWitt said. “But we’ve got most of our club pretty well set.”

That answer was in response to a question about the likelihood of a Pujols reunion, and that’s not a good sign at all for the chances of it happening. Yes, Pujols would help the Cardinals and give them a veteran bench bat who hits almost .300 against left-handed pitchers. But he is a limited player defensively – he can’t play first base much and is strictly a DH at this point of his career – and that is not a luxury the Cardinals can afford at this time.

In free agency, Colin Moran makes much more sense than Pujols. He’s a more complete player offensively and comes with upside. His versatility on defense – he can play first and third bases – makes him an ideal candidate to be the primary backup to Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. He will also be slightly more expensive than Pujols, which is fine, considering he brings a lot more to the table at this stage of his career.

Would Pujols reunion be a storybook ending to his career? Of course. It would allow him to go out with his longtime teammates Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. But it’s not happening, and it’s something that should be put to bed.