Albert Pujols Could Manage the Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles, in search of a new manager to lead their young and promising core, have shown interest in future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols. Although formal interviews have not yet been conducted, this is expected to happen soon. The search for a new manager arises after the dismissal of Brandon Hyde at the beginning of the disappointing 2025 season, in which the team recorded 87 losses. Tony Mansolino, who took over as interim manager after Hyde’s departure in May, is one of the candidates for the full-time position. However, the Orioles are also conducting an external search. Mike Elias, Orioles president of baseball operations, was a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals during the time Pujols was a star. Pujols, 45, maintains a close relationship with former teammate Matt Holliday, father of young infielder Jackson Holliday, 21, who is now one of the Orioles’ key players. Los Angeles Angels seem to be the most likely destination for Pujols and remain the only team with whom he has had a formal interview. Pujols met with Angels general manager Perry Minasian and is still being seriously considered for the position, although former All-Star outfielder Torii Hunter is also a strong candidate. The Angels’ hiring process could be affected by the involvement of owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino in the civil trial over the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.Just a couple of years ago, the Orioles looked like a team on the rise, coming out of an aggressive rebuild to win 101 games and clinch the American League title in 2023. They returned to the playoffs with a 91-win season in 2024, but were swept in the wild card round and weren’t aggressive in pursuing starting pitchers during the following offseason. A 15-28 start led to Hyde’s firing on May 17.
The following 4 and a half months weren’t much better, but the Orioles remain an attractive destination due to a promising young core of position players, including Holliday, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Coby Mayo, and Samuel Basallo. Currently, they are one of eight teams with manager vacancies, along with the Angels, the Atlanta Braves, the San Francisco Giants, the Washington Nationals, the San Diego Padres, the Colorado Rockies, and the Minnesota Twins. Pujols has expressed a great interest in managing at the Major League level for years and led a Dominican winter baseball team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Previously, Pujols was named manager of the Dominican Republic for next year’s World Baseball Classic, although he would likely resign from that position if he gets a job in the Major Leagues this offseason.
