Should the Toronto Blue Jays look at signing Albert Pujols?

Even with the Blue Jays cruising to a 10-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics in yesterday’s afternoon game, headlines were dominated by some shocking news when the Los Angeles Angels announced they were designating veteran slugger Albert Pujols for assignment.

The right-hander is currently in the last year of his 10 year, $240 million dollar contract that saw his productivity drop since his move from the St. Louis Cardinals where the Dominican native earned numerous accolades such as Rookie of the Year, three MVP awards, six silver slugger awards, one gold glove award, and nine all-star appearances. He currently has 667 career home runs along with 2112 RBI and 3253 hits, and in 55 games against the Blue Jays (for his career), Pujols has slashed .318/.346/.514 with 10 home runs and 36 RBI.

While Pujols is in the later years of his career, the future Hall of Famer still has some gas left in the tank, and while his $30 million salary almost guarantees that he will pass through the waiver wire, there will be a few teams inquiring for his services once he’s released by the Angels organization later this week, with the Blue Jays possibly kicking the tires on the soon to be free agent (if this past winter was any indication).

For

Pujols would bring significant veteran leadership to the Blue Jays organization, most likely coming off the bench and being utilized as a designated hitter with some potential starts at first base (and even third base if the team gets desperate).

The righty slugger performs a lot better when a southpaw is on the mound, slashing .298/.381/.565 when facing a left-hander for his career. Those stats are similar to when a right-hander is on the mound (.298/.375/.538) but in three times fewer plate appearances/at-bats when compared to facing a lefty. While his production at the plate has dropped since leaving the Cardinals, Pujols can still hit for power, cranking out 222 home runs and 783 RBI in his nine and a half year tenure with the Angels.

Considering the Blue Jays have been plagued by injuries and struggles out of the gate from a similar power bat in Rowdy Tellez (who is now in AAA), signing Pujols would be a depth roster option that could help the younger team on the field but more importantly off the field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the veteran slugger are already well acquainted and adding a player with more than 20 years of professional baseball experience could be helpful in a player/coach mentality, especially if he can still hit when a left-hander is on the mound and crank out 20+ home runs this season.

At the right price, a player with his caliber and the ability to be a  power bat off the bench could be the spark plug that brings the team together and wins the close games later this season in an attempt to play October baseball once again.

Against

At 41 years old, it is no secret that Pujols is heading towards the end of his storied career.

While he has remained relatively healthy since joining the Angels back in 2012, the slugger is just not performing well compared to earlier in his career, seeing major drop-offs in most batting categories. He has failed to hit over a .250 average in the past four seasons and while his OPS hovers around the .650-.720 area, Pujols is struggling this campaign, crafting a .198/.250/.372 line with five home runs and 12 RBI in 92 plate appearances. The bat still has some power but it’s very inconsistent, especially if he can’t get on base unless the ball is hit over the outfield wall.

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Another potential roadblock is the Blue Jays current roster situation.

The 40 man roster is full, meaning somebody would have to come off for Pujols to join the team, and the active roster already has an outfield crunch that is spilling over to the designated hitter position when George Springer is healthy. The asking price for his services will drop significantly when he is a free agent but convincing him to come to play for Toronto may also be a tough ask unless enough capital is forked over, which should be limited given he would be a bench player on the roster at best. Considering the Blue Jays are playing around .500 ball and Pujols might be in it for one last Championship, the veteran may not want to come to Toronto anyway, signing with a team that he feels is more poised to contend this season.

Conclusion

As much as Pujols would be great to have on the team (for leadership and storyline), it seems like a hard pass may be necessary when it comes to bringing him to wherever the Blue Jays call home this season.

His experience and leadership in the clubhouse would be a tremendous boost for a young club such as the Blue Jays but it would be tough to fit him on the roster given the current configuration, nevermind the fact that the ballclub also has to make room for the likes of players on the injured list looking to return in the next few weeks in Springer, Nate Pearson, David Phelps, etc.

Pujols could look towards a potential reunion with St. Louis or potentially join a team like the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers. The man only has a few years of baseball left in him (if that) and since he already won two World Series rings, a team with a more guaranteed shot at the post-season will most likely be on his radar given he’s already earned a significant amount of money in his career (if he wants another). He also wants to play first base full time, something the Blue Jays can’t really offer unless they choose to move Guerrero Jr. back to third, a decision that would seem like a step back given how well he has played on the right side of the diamond this season.

Adding a player like Albert Pujols would be a great storyline for the organization, but in the end, I wouldn’t be so quick to get a Pujols Blue Jays jersey any time soon.