No Angels fans, that was not a dream. And as far as the other 29 teams and their fans are concerned – sorry, but that was not a horrible nightmare. Thursday morning really did begin with news that the Angels not only signed pitcher C.J. Wilson, but Albert Pujols as well.

Veteran outfielder Vernon Wells was ecstatic when talking about the addition of his new teammates. “You’re adding two of the biggest pieces in the market, two guys still young and in their prime who can dominate. This gives us a legitimate chance to get to the playoffs and farther,” he said.

All the excitement definitely begins with the shocking acquisition of King Albert. The Angels were not mentioned as a contender for his services until just 48 hours before the deal took place. It was clear that Pujols was potentially the most talented player to ever hit the free-agent market. Contrary to rumors that had his overall contract estimated around $300 million over ten years the Angels were able to get him onboard for ten years and $254 million.

But, when hearing these circumstances, the situation should not be misconstrued. Pujols was not shortchanged by any means whatsoever, and the Angels were not given an easily affordable check to write. The two sides agreed to the second largest contract in Major League history.

Only Alex Rodriguez’s ten year, $275 million deal that he signed in 2007 with the Yankees has ever been worth more. Angels owner Arte Moreno had no doubt that Pujols was worth the nice chunk of change. “This is a monumental day for Angel fans, and I could not be more excited. Albert’s career performance clearly speaks for itself. He has proven to be the best player of his generation.”

And while Pujols’ star power was the big story of the day, the signing of Wilson should not be overlooked. Unlike Pujols, most people were aware that the Angels were strongly pursuing the lefty starter in Wilson. The 31-year-old grew up just 12 miles from Angel Stadium and did not reassure the Rangers and their fans that he desired to return for another season in Arlington.

His hometown team showed interest and made him a suitable offer. “At the end of the day, my family was a big player in this, and my friends and stuff back home,” said Wilson. “Going back to where you’re from is a difficult thing to turn down when you have an opportunity, and it works out really in every way.”

Although Wilson was regarded as the best starter available this offseason, he did not receive a $100+ million contract like many expected before this October. His lack of a power fastball and struggles this postseason were the contributors in the end. He went 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in 6 starts during the 2011 playoffs.

Not only does adding Wilson give the Angels one of the top starting rotations in the league with Jared Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana, but it also weakens the Rangers rotation. Texas has won the A.L. West the last two years and gone to the World Series both times.

Now the Angels aim to get back to dominating the division the way they did in past years. In just one day’s worth of signings C.J. Wilson and Albert Pujols have also changed the entire landscape of the American League as a whole. Get your tickets now, Angels fans. They won’t be available for too long.

Aspen Photo / Shutterstock.com

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Albert Pujols, nine-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove award winner, and three-time National League Most Valuable Player has finally hit the open market as a free agent, and the new-look Marlins are not wasting any time in being the first to enter what should be the largest bidding war in MLB history for his services. 

To baseball fans, Pujols’ availability could seem almost as attractive and massive as Miami Heat forward LeBron James’ free agency last summer. Just like James, it appears possible that Pujols could also end up “bringing his talents to South Beach” for years to come.  

The Marlins made the first move in their attempt to permanently bring Pujols there on Friday when he met with the organization at their brand new ball park where, according to si.com, they were the first team to make him a contract offer this offseason.

“Miami is a magnet – the city, the manager, the new ballpark, the players we have. We have a terrific core here. All of it put together is the magnet,” Jeffrey Loria, Miami Marlins owner.

This is the message that Loria was attempting to send Pujols on Friday when team officials had lunch with the man recognized as the greatest player in all of baseball. This occurred during a busy week when the team also met with free agents Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes. 

They also gave Pujols his own personal tour of their new stadium, a modern-day ballpark with a retractable roof that they can call their own. They shared their previous stadium with the Miami Dolphins. Once they made their impression, they allegedly offered him a contract, although mlb.com reports that the Marlins will not confirm doing so.

If they did offer him a deal, one would believe that it has to be somewhere in the neighborhood of ten years and $300 million. The Marlins are looking to become serious contenders in the N.L. East – a division that the Philadelphia Phillies have won every year since 2007.  They also have not made the postseason since 2003, the year they won the World Series over the Yankees in six games.

“Now we look forward to a new era. It’s a new page. I’m excited. There are absolutely are no limits to try and see what can be done,” Loria said. Miami began making transitions towards building a new culture back in September when they acquired new manager Ozzie Guillen back in September in a deal with his former team, the Chicago White Sox.

Now the Marlins seek to continue by signing another big name like Pujols. Most people believed that Pujols would test free agency after not agreeing to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals before spring training.

Well after winning his second World Series since 2006 with the club this past year and after seeing his future Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa retire shortly after, the popular belief seems to be that Pujols has every reason to not only test the waters, but to actually sign with another team. The Miami Marlins would certainly hope so.

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