With so much stock being put into the Marvel multiverse, why don’t we open up our own multiverse with sports. There are several moments in sports that make you wonder “what if.” It could be players signing elsewhere after playing a large portion of their career in one place. It could be a moment where you wonder what would have happened if a certain mistake or bad call wasn’t made. It could also be as simple as a team passing up a player in a draft that could have changed the franchise’s fortunes.
To kick off our what if scenarios for sports, let’s go with the idea of Albert Pujols never leaving St. Louis after the 2011 season.
As we all know, Pujols signed with the Angels for 10 years and $254 million. The Cardinals chose to let him walk as they did not want to be saddled with that extra money. But let’s say for a minute that when the Angels offered him that deal, the Cardinals chose to match the offer, thus retaining their star. Of course, Pujols did initially say he wanted to play out his remaining days in St. Louis.
The immediate effects on the team are actually quite big. For starters, Carlos Beltran was signed by St. Louis shortly after Pujols departure. If Pujols had stayed, this would not have happened. It’s also worth noting that Pujols had a close relationship with reliever Octavio Dotel, who was part of the 2011 Championship team’s stout bullpen. Perhaps Dotel would’ve stayed, thus allowing the Cards to retain more players from their 2011 squad.
With that said, Lance Berkman would also still be the team’s right fielder. Berkman ended up having an injury plagued season in 2012, which allowed Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter to prove their worth. We can assume Berkman still would’ve dealt with the same injuries. This would allow Allen Craig to take over for him, as he did in real life, but this time, as a right fielder. However, Carpenter may not have gotten his shot, at least not as soon as he did. Players like Matt Adams also wouldn’t be able to crack the big league roster, meaning that he could have eventually been traded.
Pujols had somewhat of a down year in 2012, but he did still hit 30 homers. But Carlos Beltran was a huge factor on that team. Without him, it’s possible the Cardinals may not have gotten as far as the NLCS, even with Pujols on their side.
By 2013, it’s possible that Matt Carpenter would have eventually gotten his shot and cracked the roster as the team’s starting second baseman. He was an All-Star that year, so if this was his first full season in the big leagues, he would’ve been a Rookie of the Year candidate. Pujols on the other hand, continued to decline that year, and would ultimately end up missing the back half of the season with plantar fasciitis, something he had dealt with in the past. Playing in St. Louis would not have changed this. Perhaps the Cards could have then added a bat at the trade deadline, or potentially even called up top prospect Oscar Taveras, but it’s very likely St. Louis wouldn’t have reached the World Series that year if Pujols was still there.
Pujols seemingly returned to form in 2014 and was an All-Star in 2015. By then, the Cardinals offense was a shell of its former self, constantly struggling to score runs. They did reach the postseason both of those years, and with Pujols’ improved play, it’s very possible that St. Louis would have been able to take down the Giants in the 2014 NLCS, maybe even winning another title. They probably would have stood a better chance against the Cubs in the 2015 NLDS and gotten a little farther that postseason.
The Cards then went on a stretch of missing the postseason three straight years, thanks in large part to their anemic offense. Pujols, while declining, still probably would’ve helped them a great deal in 2016, meaning they most likely would have won the second Wild Card.
Even while declining, Pujols was still breaking records and achieving milestones. So Cardinals fans would have obviously gotten to see him do it if he hadn’t left. And players such as Jose Martinez and Jedd Gyorko may not have ever put on Cardinals uniforms. But injuries were starting to take a toll on the former MVP’s body. It certainly helped that the American League had the designated hitter rule. Without it, Pujols would have certainly lost playing time, and the Cards would have most likely missed the playoffs in 2017 and 2018.
The Cardinals probably wouldn’t have traded for Paul Goldschmidt or Marcell Ozuna if Pujols was still around. But they would be saddled with his contract, and by 2021, with injuries and inconsistencies plaguing the former MVP, the Cardinals would have had to make a decision that would shake the fanbase.
That move would be exactly what the Angels had to do this past May, designating him for assignment and ultimately releasing him, ending his Cardinals tenure on a sour note. And there would be no Paul Goldschmidt to play first in his absence. This could have cleared a spot for prospects Juan Yepez and Nolan Gorman, but the Cards most likely wouldn’t have gone on their 17-game winning streak in September, which means they would miss the postseason in all likelihood.
As we see, a lot would change if Pujols had remained a Cardinal. Some for better and some for worse. But if the Cards had to do what the Angels did, it would have certainly left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths for years to come. Ultimately, St. Louis made a wise decision when they decided not to match the Angels offer.
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