Albert Pujols departure a surprise for former team-mates – MLB News
As Albert Pujols departed the St. Louis Cardinals, with which he spent no less than 11 seasons, his former team-mates are coming of out of the surprise his departure left for them. Nonetheless, very few had anticipated the move had any likelihood given the
attachment he had with the team and vice versa.
Matt Holliday is one of the players who found an element of surprise in it. A couple of years ago, he was also a free-agency, but he decided to stay with his club. That highly publicised affair still resonates.
"I was surprised," said Matt Holliday. "I recognized that this was a possibility, but I think something like this happens, you're always going to be surprised that it didn't work out."
While there barely remains any doubt that Pujols is irreplaceable, the tough row ahead is a challenge the Cardinals need to effectively grapple with. It will be worthwhile to recall one of such times had already come for the Cardinals.
The season that just ended and a few prior to that, saw Pujols being reduced to the disabled list. Managing things without him seemed a herculean task. If those moments do not haunt the Cardinals, what may lead to some worry is the absence of this quality
player in the coming seasons.
"You don't understate what Albert brings to a team and what he's brought to this organization," Holliday said. "You never understate or diminish what he's done. He's a guy that, when you put him in a lineup, it changes things. With that said, we have a good
team and depending on how things go the rest of the offseason.”
All the same, for Kyle McClellan, it is almost unimaginable seeing Pujols in any other uniform. Skip Schumaker thought that until the last moment it was the Cardinals who had the upper hand in the deal to be struck.
With his departure, he has left a legacy that will continue to inspire the fans and critics alike in the St. Louis Cardinals. It remains to be seen how the Cardinals as a team perform without this player par excellence.
Tags: