Redbird reunion: Pujols is returning to the Cardinals on one-year deal | St.

JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals’ search for a way to maximize the brand new position of designated hitter has led to a reunion with one of the greatest hitters of all from their past.

Albert Pujols and the Cardinals are finalizing a one-year contract to bring the franchise icon back to St. Louis, multiple sources said late Sunday night. The agreement, first reported Sunday night by the Post-Dispatch, is pending a physical and will pay Pujols $2.5 million.

An inevitable first-ballot Hall of Famer, Pujols returns to St. Louis for the coda of a career that began with a stunning spring training and Rookie of the Year award in 2001, matched Stan Musial with three MVPs, and now brings him home 21 homers shy of 700 for his career. Pujols, 42, will have the opportunity to be the team’s righthanded-hitting DH against lefthanded starters or a deterrent off the bench against lefties in late innings.

The Cardinals imagine a similar role to the one Pujols had with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season, and one manager Oliver Marmol has sought as he lets matchups guide his lineups.

A member of the Cardinals’ front office declined comment.

The Cardinals had ongoing internal discussions this spring about how a reunion would work with the current roster and clubhouse, and conversations with Pujols’ representatives increased this past weekend. A team source acknowledged how Pujols would fit the roster and ignite nostalgia, joining his friend and longtime teammate Yadier Molina for the catcher’s farewell season. Two sources described Pujols’ eagerness to rejoin the Cardinals if offered.

Drafted by the Cardinals in 1999, Pujols hit his way into the opening day lineup on April 2, 2001, and began an unprecedented run of production to start a major-league career. In his first 10 seasons, he hit at least .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs each season, and he led the National League in average, homers, and RBIs for the 2000s, claiming a decade Triple Crown despite spotting the entire league a year. While with the Cardinals, Pujols won an MVP in 2005, 2008, and 2009, and he won two World Series championships. His last appearance as a Cardinal was celebrating the 2011 title, and that winter he left for the west coast, signing a 10-year, $240-million deal with the Angels.

Pujols was released by the Angels in May, a few months shy of the end of his contract. A Cardinals source said “the timing was off” for the team to sign him then, though internally they mused about bringing No. 5 back for an encore in the autumn of his career.

As recently as Sunday morning, officials with the Cardinals downplayed a match with Pujols because all spring they have consistently talked up their promise to prospects.

On Sunday morning, Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson asked Marmol if the team would consider adding a righthanded-hitting veteran, like Pujols, to the roster as they did a week ago with lefthanded-hitting outfielder Corey Dickerson.

Marmol stressed the team’s interest in rookie Juan Yepez.

“It is a front office question,” Marmol said. “I’ll answer it with (this): We’re wanting to give Yepez the most opportunity and see what we got there. Has he performed the way he’d like to? No. Is he carrying himself in a way that gives us the belief he can do a good job? Yes. We want to see as much of that as possible. We’ll see a decent amount of at-bats for him moving forward.”

Marmol scripted his lineup Sunday specifically because the Mets had Jacob deGrom, the two-time Cy Young Award winner, scheduled to throw three innings and Max Scherzer, a three-time winner, assigned to handle the final six innings. He said he wanted to see lefthanded-hitting Lars Nootbaar, at DH, against top gear-velocity righthanders, and watch how Yepez adjusted over the course of a game. The Mets’ pitching plan meant Marmol could assure at least three at-bats for each young hitter against the All-Stars.

“These are the type of guys you have to beat if you want to win the whole thing,” Marmol said.

Nootbaar went hitless in four at-bats, two each against deGrom and Scherzer, but he improved with each pass. Nootbaar worked his way back from an 0-2 count against deGrom to get it full in his second at-bat and the got under a pitch for a flyout to center. Yepez went zero-for-three but worked a walk in one of his three plate appearances against Scherzer. Marmol said that Yepez’s swing “was shorter, which was good to see.”

The 24-year-old righthander hit .286 with 27 homers and a .969 OPS in the minors this past season, including a .971 OPS in 92 games at Class AAA. This spring, he’s sweetened his on-base percentage…