Albert Pujols in agreement with Los Angeles Dodgers on major league deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers and future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols are in agreement on a major league contract, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

The deal, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, isn’t expected to become official until Monday, a source said. When it does, the Dodgers will pay Pujols only the prorated portion of the major league minimum salary for the rest of the campaign, roughly $420,000, a sum that will be subtracted from the $30 million salary that is being paid to him by the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols, in the last year of his 10-year, $240 million contract, was designated for assignment by the Angels on May 6 and was officially released after clearing waivers on Thursday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declined to comment on Pujols prior to Saturday’s game because the deal has not been officially stated.

With the defending World Series champion Dodgers, Pujols, 41, is expected to be mostly used as a late-game pinch hitter. But he could also get some playing time at first base with everyday first baseman Max Muncy capable of playing second and third base.

Looking for the best online betting site and Live betting? Visit Heritage Sports!

Pujols’ presence, coupled with Muncy’s versatility, makes it easier for the Dodgers to either rest Justin Turner or temporarily back off Gavin Lux, the young second baseman who has struggled thus far.

Only 41 of Pujols’ 12,486 career regular-season plate appearances have come as a pinch hitter, but the Dodgers expect him to help a young, inexperienced bench.

His right-handed bat might also help a team that entered Saturday with a .663 OPS against left-handed pitchers, 136 points fewer than its OPS against righties. Pujols is batting only .198/.250/.372 in 92 plate appearances this campaign and has been a below-average hitter by park-adjusted OPS since 2017. But he owns an .878 OPS against lefties in 2021, and his .513 expected slugging percentage suggests he has also been running into some bad luck.

In 18 plate appearances under what Baseball-Reference identifies as late-and-close situations, Pujols owns a .313/.389/.500 slash line.

Pujols, who hasn’t ruled out the probability of playing beyond 2021, ranks fifth in career homers (667), second in RBIs since they became an official stat in 1920 (2,112) and 14th in hits (3,253). He has won three National League MVP awards, two Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers and has been invited to 10 All-Star Games.

Pujols will now go from a team that hasn’t won a postseason game in 12 years to one that plays 30 miles north and has won eight consecutive NL West titles.

He becomes the fourth former MVP on the current Dodgers roster, joining Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, the Dodgers are the fourth team in MLB history to feature four former MVP winners, joining the 1978 Reds, 1982 Angels and most recently the 1996 Red Sox. They also have three former Cy Young Award winners: Kershaw, Trevor Bauer and David Price.

Get all the latest Live Betting and Sport News updates on your social media outlets. Find us on both  Facebook and Twitter