Pujols has healthy offseason
ANAHEIM, CA (The Spread) – For the first time since signing a monster contract with the Angels, Albert Pujols appears to be healthy.
According to Joel Sherman on Twitter, Pujols has enjoyed a “normal” offseason. The slugger has been hitting balls since October after being limited to 99 games in 2013 due to a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his left foot. He finished the season with a career-worst .767 OPS and after signing a massive contract a few years ago, the Halos still owe Pujols $222 million in guaranteed money.
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Angels are 16/1 long shots to win the 2014 World Series. The Dodgers are the current favorites to win the Fall Classic at 13/2, while the Tigers are 17/2 and the Yankees are, Red Sox, Cardinals and Nationals are all 12/1.
The Angels are stacked, but they’ve been stacked for years and haven’t qualified for the postseason. Pujols will once again be the focal point of a lineup that also boasts Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick. The Halos also traded for David Freese in the offseason and if the third baseman can bounce back from a poor 2013 campaign, he’ll be a great addition to the bottom of the lineup.
As bettors, we want to search for values when it comes to futures and the Angels are somewhat of a value. The A’s are arguably still the team to beat in the AL West but the Angels are still the most talented team in the division and possess one of the better rosters in all of baseball. But can that roster stay healthy and stop underachieving? And do they have enough quality pitchers? At 16/1 there is some value in the Angels, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of question marks surrounding the club.
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