PHOTO CREDIT: Mar 6, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols (5) looks out at the field before the game against Nicaragua at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Former Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols will go down in history as one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. Even though he had a few down years in the mid-2010s, his overall accolades and statistics rival some of the greatest to ever play baseball.

After leading the Cardinals to yet another World Series title in 2011, Pujols tested the free-agent market for the first time in his career. And he shocked the sports world when he signed a ten-year, $254 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

In an interview with Santiago Matias, founder of Alofoke Media Group, the future Hall of Famer revealed that he had accepted significantly less money to sign with the Angels.

And up until now, while it was known multiple teams offered Pujols contracts in competition with the Angels, it was never revealed which team offered the biggest proposal.

Pujols said that another team offered him no less than $315 million on the market in 2011. If Pujols had accepted the deal, it would have been the first $300 million contract in MLB history. He also revealed the team that offered him the contract is the closest in distance to his home country.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today put the pieces together and said it was the Miami Marlins who made this staggering offer.

The 2012 offseason was a busy one for Miami, signing shortstop Jose Reyes (six years, $106 million), starting pitcher Mark Buehrle (four years, $58 million) and closer Heath Bell (three years, $27 million).

There’s no telling how the team would have performed if they were able to sign Pujols as well.

With the Angels, Pujols made the playoffs only once, resulting in a sweep by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 American League Division Series.

It wasn’t just the team that struggled during those years, however. Pujols never batted better than .285 in his 10 seasons with the club. He hit 40-plus homers six times as a Cardinal, but only did so once with the Angels. Pujols had an OPS of 1.031 in St. Louis, but just a .758 OPS with Los Angeles.