Pujols suits up in Dominican Winter League
Albert Pujols is suiting up again, this time in his native Dominican Republic.
The Liga de B¨¦isbol Profesional de la Rep¨²blica Dominicana (LIDOM) announced Thursday that the Santo Domingo-born slugger has been traded from the Gigantes del Cibao to the Leones del Escogido. Per a team release, Pujols is expected to join Escogido on Friday.
? Full MLB.TV broadcast schedule for LIDOM games
Pujols, 41, was selected by the Gigantes with the first pick of LIDOM¡¯s inaugural rookie draft in 2002, but he has never seen winter ball action.
A three-time National League MVP, two-time World Series champion and 10-time All-Star, Pujols' future in the Majors is uncertain. He is a free agent after slashing .236/.284/.433 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 109 games for the Angels and Dodgers in 2021.
After being designated for assignment by the Angels on May 6 in the final year of a 10-year contract, Pujols signed with the Dodgers, who sought his prowess against left-handed pitching. One of the best right-handed hitters of his generation, Pujols performed well for the Dodgers against southpaws, slashing .303/.347/.606 in 118 plate appearances vs. lefties.
Pujols has a career .297/.375/.544 slash line across 21 big league seasons. The 2001 NL Rookie of the Year ranks third on MLB¡¯s all-time list in RBIs (2,150) and fifth in home runs (679). A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Pujols also has 3,301 hits to his name, making him one of only four players (joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Alex Rodr¨ªguez) to collect 600 home runs and 3,000 hits in the Majors.