"Albert Pujols can lead the Angels to a few World Series championships, win several most-valuable-player awards, set the all-time home run record and pass 3,000 hits, and he would not pay for himself.

It seems unlikely that any player, no matter how dominant and marketable, can generate close to $240 million in 10 years.

But that's not to say the Angels aren't already benefiting from the Dec. 8 acquisition of Pujols, which, combined with the same-day signing of pitcher C.J. Wilson, sparked a surge in ticket and merchandise sales.

There is also the intangible that often makes this high-stakes game of player acquisition worthwhile. If owner Arte Moreno sells the team after Pujols' retirement, he could recoup a big chunk of his massive investment, which was made possible, in part, by a 17-year television rights extension with Fox Sports that will pay the Angels between $2 billion and $2.5 billion beginning in 2016."