Angels done with ‘upset’ Albert Pujols after dreadful start to season

The future Hall of Famer and three-time MVP – in the final season of a 10-year contract worth $253 million -- is batting just .198 with five home runs and a career-low .622 OPS in 24 games for the...

Albert Pujols, one of baseball’s all-time leading sluggers, was released Thursday by the Los Angeles Angels, the team announced.

The future Hall of Famer and three-time MVP – in the final season of a 10-year contract worth $253 million – is batting just .198 with five home runs and a career-low .622 OPS in 24 games for the last-place Angels (13-16) this season.

The 41-year-old Pujols ranks fifth on baseball’s all-time home run list with 667 and third in career RBIs – behind only Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth – with 2,112 over 21 major-league seasons with the Cardinals and the Angels.

Pujols was “upset” that he was excluded from Wednesday’s lineup against the Rays, “and that the decision to bench him came from [the] front office, not [manager] Joe Madden,” according to a tweet by Los Angeles Times beat writer Mike DiGiovanna.

Pujols made only one of his 10 career All-Star appearances during his decade with the Angels, finishing with a .256 batting average and a .758 OPS after switching to the American League as a free agent before the 2012 season. He had posted a .328 average – including an NL batting title (.359 in 2003) – with a 1.037 OPS over his first 11 seasons in St. Louis.

“The Angels organization proudly signed Albert Pujols in 2011, and are honored that he has worn an Angels jersey for nearly half of his Hall of Fame career,” owner Arte Moreno said in a statement.

The Dominican Republic native’s 667 career homers are the most of any player born outside of the United States.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Peter Botte

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