Albert Pujols close to finding a new team, and it’s a big surprise

Albert Pujols may have a new team here soon, and no, it is not who you would expect to be.

After parting ways with the Los Angeles Angels last week, veteran slugger Albert Pujols is on the precipice of joining a new ballclub: The Dominican Republic National Team.

In most weeks, this would be the most shocking professional athlete signing we would ever come across. Too bad former New York Mets farmhand and Florida Gators legend Tim Tebow has signed a one-year contract to play tight end for Urban Meyer’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Since he is no longer on an MLB team’s 40-man roster, Pujols would be eligible to play for the Dominican Republic.

Could we seriously be seeing Pujols playing for an Olympic medal in Tokyo this summer?

Albert Pujols could be playing for his country this summer in Tokyo

While the World Baseball Classic has prominently featured major leaguers throughout its existence, Olympic baseball has usually been reserved for amateurs. Though a lot of future big leaguers have starred on this big stage representing their country before, this would be a first to see a future National Baseball Hall of Famer playing for his country in the twilight of his career.

Even if Pujols has struggled to hit big-league pitching, when is he ever going to have an opportunity to play for the Dominican Republic again? With the 2020 Summer Olympic Games being delayed a year due to the ongoing global pandemic, the Tokyo Games need more than a bit of juice to get going. Nobody is talking about them. Maybe adding Pujols to the mix helps, I guess?

If Pujols can’t collect checks/stat chase in the MLB, he must win gold for the Dominican Republic.