Ready For a Homecoming? Albert Pujols Set to Return to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022

For all of those that thought there is no romance in baseball, hold your breaths. Albert Pujols, aged 42, may be set for a return to the St Louis Cardinals; a team where he made a name for himself and set the league alight with his power hits from home plate.

Now the hitter may just have his final hurrah with the Cardinals as 2022 sees the two reunite. Joining up on a one-season contract, Pujols’ legacy may have a final chapter yet to be written.

Albert Pujols has made his mark on MLB. One of the most feared hitters through most of the late 2000s and early 2010s, Pujols is shy of a few career landmarks that he can well look to complete in his year with the Cardinals.

But it seems as though the thrust will still be on the good of the team and the ability to push the team into contention. Reportedly, the contract will be worth $2.5 million and will stretch over 1 year for Pujols’ services.

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Albert Pujols set to return as a Cardinal

The reported deal was tweeted by Bob Nightengale from his personal account and will be over a one-year period for the 42-year-old. Probably set for one final go in MLB, Pujols at 42 is likely past his prime but is still a force to be reckoned with. And with the universal DH coming to baseball, hitters like Pujols may just have seen their values take a bump.

While his slash may no longer retain the flair it did when he was first on the Cardinals, he can clearly fulfill a role. As he has shown with the Dodgers last year when he was used as a specialty hitter against lefty pitchers, he can still slug. And with the MLB icon only a few shy of a major career milestone, his eyes will be set on marking his return to MLB with a bang.

Pujols’ role in the squad

Pujols was released from his contract with the Angels early; however, he was subsequently signed by the LA Dodgers for 2022 to fulfill a specialist role. Taking on lefty pitchers over the course of the season, Pujols proved his effectiveness. However, he failed to make the mark as a full roster member.

And while contributing to the Dodgers, a few records still seemed to be within reach. Pujols currently stands 5th in the list of all-time home run tally with 679 to his name. Another 21 hits out of the park will put him one up on that list into the 700 club.

And this would put Pujols in elite company in MLB; only 4 hitters currently boast that tally. However, this would need another 21 homers from Pujols; a tally easier said than done for a player now aged 42 and unsure of his place in the lineup.

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That being said, how do you think Pujols’ season in the Majors will go? Could he crack that elusive 700 mark? Or is this just his farewell tour with the team that drafted him as a goodbye?