Future baseball Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, on the verge of retirement, will finish this 2021 Major League Baseball season in Los Angeles… but not with the Angels. The Los Angeles Dodgers threw many people a curveball on Saturday by signing Pujols for the remainder of the season, thwarting expectations of a reunion between Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals.

The fairy-tale ending to Pujols' storied and luminous career as one of the great hitters of the 21st century seemed to be just around the corner. Pujols and the Cardinals had appeared to be mutually interested in a reunion, and the fans in St. Louis who rightly revere this generationally great hitter probably would have loved to see Pujols end his career as a Redbird. Yet, it wasn't meant to be. The Dodgers — who aren't going to run Pujols out and put his name in the batting order every single day — can still use a situational bat and a veteran presence in the clubhouse, given the injuries to their roster and the struggles of the batting order in the first month and a half of the season.

This is less a game-changing move by the Dodgers, since Pujols is well past his prime, but the acquisition certainly gives the defending World Series champions a chance to bring a new voice in the clubhouse and a pinch-hitter who won't be scared under pressure.

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Albert Pujols is currently fifth on the all-time MLB home run list with 667 entering Saturday. Pujols trails only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Alex Rodriguez. He is seven home runs ahead of the great Willie Mays, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday. The Dodgers aren't getting the best of Pujols, but they are getting a man who will be instantly respected in the clubhouse. Given that L.A. has gone through a lot of turbulence in the young season, Pujols could certainly provide a sage voice and a wise presence which will carry value for the team's regular starters.

Pujols won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011. He is a 10-time All-Star, three-time National League MVP, and a six-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award, among many other career achievements and highlights.