The Los Angeles Angels released future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols on Thursday, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Pujols was in the final year of a 10-year, $253 million deal.

The Angels quickly announced the move and released a statement:

The 41-year-old Pujols got off to a sluggish start this season, hitting just .198 in 24 games and 92 plate appearances. He did have five home runs and 12 RBI, but that wasn't enough to make up for the general struggles at the plate. There was also some recent drama involving the veteran:

Albert Pujols has naturally seen a decline in his performance in recent years as he has gotten older. Once one of the most fearsome hitters in all of baseball, he hasn't hit above .245 since 2017 and has struggled to post an on-base percentage over .300.

It will be interesting to see if Pujols gets a chance anywhere else before hanging up the cleats. Could a possible return to the St. Louis Cardinals be in the … cards?

Albert Pujols began his MLB career with the Cardinals in 2001 and was incredible from the very start. He easily won NL Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star and finished fourth in NL MVP voting.

The burly right-hander played 11 seasons in St. Louis, making nine All-Star Games and winning MVP three times. He reached the 40-homer mark in six seasons, hitting a career-high 49 bombs in 2006. He hit a career-high .359 in 2003 and hit .328 over those 11 seasons with the Cardinals.

Pujols signed his massive 10-year deal with the Angels in 2011. He didn't have nearly as much success with the club as he did in St. Louis, making just one All-Star Game over the last decade.

Still, Albert Pujols will go down as one of the best hitters of all time. He has 667 home runs to his name, which is fifth-most in MLB history.