Major League Baseball

Albert Pujols returning to St. Louis on 1-year deal

Updated Mar. 28, 2022 3:07 p.m. ET

Albert Pujols is returning to St. Louis after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, according to published reports.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which first reported the agreement late Sunday, said the contract with the 42-year-old slugger — who is 21 home runs shy of 700 for his career — was pending a physical. The deal is worth $2.5 million, according to ESPN.

The deal brings Pujols, a surefire Hall of Famer, back to where he began his major league career, becoming one of the game’s most powerful and dangerous all-around hitters. The former NL Rookie of the Year spent his first 11 years in St. Louis, helping the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and 2011. He also put together arguably the greatest 10-year run in baseball history, batting .331/.426/.625 with 408 home runs and 1,230 RBIs from 2001 to 2010.

A wildly popular player in St. Louis, Pujols played his last game for the Cardinals on Oct. 28, 2011, a Game 7 win over Texas in the World Series.

Pujols was selected the NL MVP three times and made nine All-Star teams with the Cardinals before signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012.

In nine-plus seasons with the Angels, Pujols made the playoffs only once, but also passed some key career milestones — 500 homers, 600 homers and 3,000 hits.

He was waived by the Angels last May and signed with the Dodgers, for whom he hit 12 homers and drove in 38 runs in 85 games.

Back with the Cardinals, Pujols could help serve as the team’s designated hitter with the National League now adopting the rule that had long been in place in the American League.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.