Should the Mariners give Albert Pujols a chance?

The Mariners’ AL West division rival Los Angeles Angels have designated future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols for assignment. It might be a bit shocking to hear since he has been with the Angels for so long, but he is struggling and has lost playing time to Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh.

Since he is DFA’d, the Angels have a week to trade him or place him on outright waivers. MLB Trade Rumors thinks he will go unclaimed because he is still owed an enormous $30M, and Pujols will most likely be released or be traded while the Angels eat the salary.

That being said, should the Mariners look into bringing in the struggling 41-year-old?

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Can Albert Pujols save our struggling offense?

It seems like Pujols will be affordable whether he is traded or becomes a free agent, so why shouldn’t the Mariners at least consider the former superstar? Jerry Dipoto was the one who brought Pujols to LA way back then, so could it be a reunion?

Yes, Albert Pujols is struggling. He is hitting just .198 with a .622 OPS. But, his advanced metrics actually don’t look that bad. If you check out his Baseball Savant Page, there is a good amount of red.

• xBA – 63rd percentile
• Avg. Exit Velo – 68th percentile
• xwOBA – 66th percentile
• xSLG – 81st percentile
• Barrel % – 56th percentile
• K% 89th percentile

I am not saying Pujols will be an All-Star and will magically turn things around for Seattle, but we are struggling offensively. I think a big reason why we are struggling is that we are young and inexperienced. Mitch Haniger, Ty France, and Kyle Seager have been performing well because they have a track record of success (except for France).

I think Pujols could provide a huge intangible to the team and be a difference-maker even if he doesn’t hit too well. I’m not giving credit to Albert Pujols for making Mike Trout, but I am sure he had a huge influence on Trout’s growth.

Who’s to say that Pujols can’t provide some wisdom to Ty France, Kyle Lewis, and most importantly Evan White? I think we should bring Albert to Seattle because he has an experienced bat and could provide some much-needed leadership.