Chimney Sweep

LEADING OFF: Pujols seeks new residence, Arenado vs Rockies | WGN Radio 720

A look at what’s happening at the majors today:

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NOT FINISHED YET

Albert Pujols wants to join a new team and be an everyday player.

The 41-year-old superstar was fired by the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday, abruptly ending a decade-long stint at his second major league club. He was appointed to a nightly meeting with General Manager Perry Minasian and team president John Carpino the day after Pujols was unhappy with irregular playing times.

Pujols, who has beaten 0.198 this season, is determined to play for another team on a regular basis after clearing waivers, Angels manager Joe Maddon said. Pujols is fifth in Major League history with 667 career homers and 13th with 3,253 goals.

“He wants to play and he wants to be on the field,” said Maddon. “Hopefully he’ll get this opportunity elsewhere, and believe me, we’ll all promote him.”

The three-time NL MVP for St. Louis was last season of a 10-year $ 240 million deal with Los Angeles.

If another team picks up Pujols after clearing the waivers, the Angels still owe them the remainder of their $ 30 million, minus a pro-rated portion of the Major League’s likely minimum wage.

“Albert is not a banker,” said Minasian, the Angels’ first year GM. “Sitting on the bench wouldn’t do him any good and it wouldn’t do the team any good. He is more motivated than ever before. If the situation were different and he could have played rackets here, it would be different. “

REMEMBER ME?

It seems almost poetic: the St. Louis thug Nolan Arenado will compete for the first time against his former team and against the pitcher who was involved in the trade for him.

Arenado has one hit in three at-bats against left Austin Gomber, which was dealt along with four minor leaguers to the Colorado Rockies on February 1 for the eight-time Gold Glove winner. The Rockies also agreed to pay St. Louis approximately $ 51 million of the $ 199 million that remains under Arenado’s contract at the time.

It’s a deal that many Rockies fans still see red in the three-game series in St. Louis.

Gone is Jeff Bridich, the general manager Arenado argued with over the direction of the team. Bridich resigned last month from a squad that is currently in last place in the NL standings.

Arenado was a Rockies second-round pick in the 2009 amateur draft. He has grown to be a five-time all-star third baseman and one of the most adept outfield players in the game.

Arenado beats .276 with five home runs and 22 RBIs this season.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN ‘

A couple of fascinating matchups in the west begin as Mookie Betts and Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Champion visit Mike Trout and the Angels in the Freeway Series while the San Francisco Giants host San Diego with first place in NL West.

Julio Urías (4-0, 2.87 ERA) plays for the fighting Dodgers, who have lost three in a row and eight out of 10, against Griffin Canning (2-2, 6.20). Blake Snell (1-0, 3.51) is on the mound for the Padres against Anthony DeSclafani (2-1, 2.00).

BANGED-UP BLUE JAYS

Toronto outfielder George Springer is not expected to be ready to get back on the line-up when his last appearance on the 10-day injury list ends on May 13th.

The 2017 World Series MVP with Houston, signed to a $ 150 million team record and a six-year contract in the off-season, didn’t make his Toronto debut until April 28 with two different injuries, first a tight oblique muscle and later a quadriceps problem.

Springer landed on the injured list again after worsening his tense right cuboid.

“I would expect it would take more than just the IL stint,” said General Manager Ross Atkins.

Blue Jay’s reliever David Phelps was placed on the IL for a right lat stretch. Infielder Joe Panik had an MRI after experiencing calf pain, and catcher Alejandro Kirk is expected to be absent for at least four weeks due to left flexor strain.

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More AP-MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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