Angels Sign Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson: A Fan’s Reaction

Fans of the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics woke up to some really bad news on Thursday (Dec. 8). The Los Angeles Angels reportedly have come to terms with former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols(notes) and former Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson(notes) in mega-deals that will make the Angels instantly contenders for the 2012 MLB season.

[Brown: Angels sign Pujols]

The first report is that the Angels agreed to a 10-year $250-$260 million deal. That's a very long-term deal that will keep him in Los Angeles for a decade, likely in the middle of a lineup putting a lot of runs on the board against the rest of the A.L. West. This was a surprise, because at first it seemed like the Miami Marlins were leading the bidding on Pujols , and then it seemed like the Cardinals would come in at the last moment to re-sign their superstar. Neither of those scenarios took place, and it looks like he went where he could make the most money rather than sustain a legacy.

Shortly after the Pujols deal got announced, a contract with left-hander C.J. Wilson came down the pipe. His deal comes in at five years for $75 million, and it brings another potential ace pitcher to the Angels. Teaming him up with Jared Weaver gives the Angels a really good front-end to their starting rotation. This was extremely bad news for the Rangers, because now they will have to face him seve ral times a year over the next five seasons. It's also a bit ironic that Wilson was facing Pujols in the 2011 World Series but will now call him a teammate in 2012.

The poor Houston Astros can't like this news, because now they will have to face Pujols all over again in the A.L. West during the 2013 season. They get temporary relief though, because when they play the Cardinals in 2012 it won't be Pujols that puts a lot of runs on the board. For the other three teams in the West, it just got tougher to compete, but especially so for the small-market Athletics. What that team really needs is for Brad Pitt to come in and run things if they ever want to get back to the postseason.

If a team ever needed to make a move it is the Mariners now, because that team is going to have an even more difficult time competing in the West if the offense doesn't get fixed quickly.

More From YCN :

Reyes Signs With Marlins

Royals Sign Closer Broxton

Astros_Moving_To_AL

Free_Agent_Compensation_Change

MLB_Free_Agent_List

*Ryan is a lifelong baseball fan that has attended games all across the nation. From The Kingdome to Busch Stadium to AT&T Park, he loves exploring the ballparks and watching the game in all its glory. He is also a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.