The Cardinals’ gain has been the Angels’ pain

10:32 PM ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. – So much of the St. Louis Cardinals’ hope for the future is predicated on the Los Angeles Angels’ pain.

When Albert Pujols signed with the Angels before the 2012 season, he was a three-time MVP with a .328 batting average, 445 home runs and a 1.037 OPS. In Anaheim, he has been a shadow of that towering figure, with a .261 batting average and .794 OPS.

With the teams poised to play their second game of a three-game interleague series, Pujols is batting .183 with a .611 OPS. He is 36 and making $25 million. After this season, the Angels will owe him $140 million over the next five seasons.

Albert Pujols is batting .183 with a .611 OPS. He is 36 and making $25 million. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Arte Moreno’s blunder continues to benefit the Cardinals. By losing Pujols, they gained a pair of compensatory picks in the 2012 draft, Nos. 19 and 36 overall. They used those selections on a tall, right-handed pitcher from Texas A&M, Michael Wacha, and a rangy …

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