"The Los Angeles Angels accomplished in less than two days what the Cardinals failed to transact in two years by signing three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols on Thursday to a contract that will run through the remainder of a Hall-of-Fame career.

Late entries to the process, the Angels stunned Major League Baseball's winter meetings by overwhelming the Cardinals and at least two other suitors with a 10-year, $254 million bid free of deferred money and packed with enough milestone incentives to make the deal worth upwards of $280 million.

The Angels' pursuit contrasted the Cardinals' methodical, conservative tact that saw them follow up last February's failed talks about a contract extension with an offer that actually featured a lower average annual value.

The Angels add a talent that general manager Jerry DiPoto called "the most consistent offensive player of his generation." The Cardinals lose an iconic figure whose value began with a career .328 average, 445 home runs and 1,329 RBIs that make him Hall of Fame-worthy after only 11 major-league seasons.

What general manager John Mozeliak called "a disappointing day" culminated two years of sluggish talks about how to make Pujols what Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. frequently termed "a Cardinal for life." Instead, Mozeliak appeared by himself at a hastily arranged afternoon press conference at Busch Stadium to discuss a day that many Cardinal fans believed would never arrive.

"I think we did everything we could," Mozeliak said.

The Angels sealed the deal with an all-in move that allowed the Cardinals no response.

"Everybody that was really close to the process knew we were stretching and putting ourselves in a situation that was becoming a little uncomfortable, but one in which we thought we were doing what was worth it," Mozeliak said.

The Cardinals' reopened talks earlier this month with a five-year, $130 million bid that eventually grew to 10 years guaranteed for $210 million but included significant deferred money, according to sources familiar with the process. What had become a frustration between Pujols and the Cardinals officially concluded early Thursday morning when his agent, Dan Lozano, notified Mozeliak of his client's decision."