Great Players Who Changed Teams in Mid-Career

Last winter, when Albert Pujols signed with the Angels, he became one of the greatest players ever to change teams in mid-career. How does he stack up historically with other Hall of Fame-caliber players who've switched?* Let's take a look at a few.

*Players who switched early- or late-career don't qualify for this particular study (e.g., Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, etc.)

Shoeless Joe Jackson
Traded from the Indians to the White Sox.
Age and seasons played at switch: 27 / 8
WAR* before switch: 35.4
WAR after switch: 30.7

Tris Speaker
Traded from the Red Sox to the Indians
Age and seasons played at switch: 28 / 9
WAR before switch: 56.2
WAR after switch: 76.8

Jimmie Foxx
Traded from the A's to the Red Sox.
Age / seasons played at switch: 28 / 11
WAR before switch: 61.3
WAR after switch: 32.8

Frank Robinson
Traded from the Reds to the Orioles.
Age and seasons played at switch: 30 / 10
WAR before switch: 61.5
WAR after switch: 45.9

Orlando Cepeda
Traded from the Giants to the Cardinals
Age and seasons played at switch: 28 / 9
WAR before switch: 31.0
WAR after switch: 17.9

Joe Morgan
Traded from the Astros to the Reds
Age and seasons played at switch: 28 / 9
WAR before switch: 27.1
WAR after switch: 76.4

Dale Murphy
Traded from the Braves to the Phillies
Age and seasons played at switch: 34 / 15
WAR before switch: 45.5
WAR after switch: -0.8

Barry Bonds
Signed with Giants as a free agent
Age and seasons played at switch: 28 / 7
WAR before switch: 50.2
WAR after switch: 121.6

Ken Griffey Jr.
Traded from the Mariners to the Reds
Age and seasons played at switch: 30 / 11
WAR before switch: 68.7
WAR after switch: 9.9

Alex Rodriguez
Signed with Rangers as a free agent
Age and seasons played at switch: 25 / 7
WAR before switch: 37.1
WAR after switch: 78.5 (through 2011)

Alex Rodriguez

Traded from Rangers to Yankees

Age and seasons played at switch: 28 / 9

WAR before switch: 61.0

WAR after switch: 43.6 (through 2011)

Albert Pujols
Signed with Angels as a free agent
Age and seasons played at switch: 31 / 11
WAR before switch: 88.7
WAR after switch: ?

Due to Pujols's age (31), the most comparable team switches in history were that of Frank Robinson and Ken Griffey Jr.

Robinson was 30 when the Reds dumped him under the mistaken belief that he was an "old 30." Robinson went on to win the Triple Crown with the Orioles remain a top player for half a dozen years. Griffey didn't have such a great story. He was the same age when he forced the Mariners to trade him ahead of free agency, but a succession of injuries stripped away his skills, and he never came close to approaching the heights he had achieved in Seattle.

Obviously we don't know what Albert is going to do from now on, but we do know that he's the most accomplished player ever to switch teams in mid-career. 88.7 WAR is a Hall of Fame career on its own; it ranks 28th of all time, tied with Carl Yastrzemski and ahead of guys like Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, Paul Waner, Willie McCovey, and many other Hall of Famers.

Which path will Pujols follow? Considering the money committed to him, Angels fans have to hope for neither. They have to hope for something beyond Robinson and closer to Tris Speaker or Joe Morgan, who were significantly younger when they were traded to their new teams. It's hard to see that happening, but people have doubted Albert Pujols before and he's always proved them wrong.

*WAR = Wins Above Replacement as calculated by Baseball Reference.