Albert Pujols 'shocked' Hamilton is joining Angels

• Pujols said he had no idea that the Angels were even pursuing Hamilton
• Hamilton agreed Thursday to a five-year, $125 million deal
• Hamilton likely will bat behind Pujols in the lineup

Albert Pujols, even after seeing the news, and talking to Josh Hamilton himself, still was in disbelief late Thursday night at his St. Louis-area home.

The Los Angeles Angels, for the second consecutive year, stunned everyone by landing the top free agent hitter on the market.

A year ago, it was Pujols who signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels.

This time, it's Hamilton, who agreed Thursday to a five-year, $125 million deal.

"I was shocked, I won't lie to you,'' Pujols told USA TODAY Sports. "We talked this afternoon. He's really pumped up. So am I. He's going to perform and help our organization. We're blessed and excited to have him.''

The Angels spent more than $300 million last year on the free agent market and still missed the playoffs. Yet, Angels owner Arte Moreno dipped back into the market and came up with the biggest prize.

"It speaks highly on the organization,'' Pujols said. "It shows how badly the Angels and Mr. Moreno wants to win and bring a championship back to Anaheim. That's huge. Signing Josh is going to have a big, big impact on the lineup.

"It's a scary lineup. But we still have to perform.''

Pujols said he had no idea that the Angels were even pursuing Hamilton until he got a call Thursday morning from his agent, Dan Lozano. He told him that Hamilton was coming to Anaheim. Pujols couldn't believe it. He had to see it for himself.

He turned on the TV. Tuned into the Internet. And made a call himself.

Yes, they now have the West Coast version of Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, who led the Detroit Tigers to the World Series.

"He's a great guy to be around,'' said Pujols, who met Hamilton in the Area Code Games in the lead-up to the 1999 draft. "Now, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be on the same ballclub as one of the best hitters in the game.

"I'm sure everybody is pretty excited and shocked. It's going to be awesome.''

Hamilton likely will bat behind Pujols in the lineup, but either way, Pujols says, is fine with him.

"Those are the decisions for our manager (Mike Scioscia),'' Pujols said. "I'm pretty flexible. I just want to win. I'll do whatever they want.''

Pujols struggled the first month of the season after joining the Angels but predicts that Hamilton's transition will be easier, particularly since he already switched teams and switched leagues earlier in his career when traded from Cincinnati to Texas.

"I talked to Josh about going through free agency this year,'' Pujols said. "I told him it's something you need to pray about, and God will tell him where he wanted to be. Josh is a smart guy, he's a great player, he'll perform well. He's been through this situation before, so he'll be fine.

"Me and him are going to get together often this spring. I can't wait to get to know him even better. It's going to be fun to win together.''