Will MLB experts in the future view Pujols' move to LA as a legacy blunder?

Legacy wise, I believe it'll haunt him. When sports writers across the country who aren't even Cardinals fans are lamenting that his 500 HR milestone would've been celebrated by the media and fans across the country more if he would've done it as a Cardinal rather than an Angel...it's sort of sad.

I completely understand why Pujol's left. The financial offer he received from Anaheim was too good not to at least strongly consider. No one can fault him for chasing the largest paycheck.

However, his milestone won't make sense years from now in the Hall of Fame when people look at the picture of him hitting homerun #500 in an Angels jersey.

Perhaps I'm wrong about the statement that will follow next: I believe that he regrets his decision.

I believe he underestimated the STL fan factor...that the incredible STL fans encouraged him to thrive and exceed expectations.

Perhaps he became a victim of his own legend and briefly forgot that many baseball legends have played far above their expected talent level in STL because of the energy, love, and expectations of the STL fans. He's not benefitting from that energy in Anaheim.

Pujols made a financial decision for himself and his family. However, I refuse to believe that he only cares about the money. He felt disrespected by the Cardinals organization (contract wise) and leaving was his way of flipping the middle finger to Cardinal management for not opening the bank vault wide open. It was a rash decision that I believe he now regrets.

It's sad to see Pujols' great milestone come and go without much fanfare. He was the King of MLB not long ago. Now he's been reduced to just another player who appears to have reached or passed his prime...a player who is quietly playing towards retirement.

Money for Pujols hasn't been a concern for a long time. STL had already made him incredibly rich long before Anaheim came calling.

When he's older and nostalgically thinking back on the best days of his incredible career, I wonder if he'll think about what his legacy would look like if he had stayed in STL? Or, will he think about all the money he made?

I bet he'll choose to remember the memory of the cheering STL fans, the energy at Busch Stadium, the historic playoff runs, and the World Championships far more than the Anaheim paycheck.