Albert Pujols in the Angels’ sights to manage
The legendary first baseman, Albert Pujols, met with Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis on Thursday night, according to a source close to the process. The meeting aimed to discuss the team’s vacant manager position.
Although a formal offer hasn’t been made yet, Pujols has been considered a leading candidate since the Angels declined manager Ron Washington’s 2026 contract option last week.
Pujols, 45 years old, has expressed a strong interest in managing at the Major League level for years and led the Leones del Escogido, a Dominican winter baseball team, to a championship in January. Previously, Pujols was named manager of the Dominican Republic for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, although he would likely relinquish that role if he gets a job in the Major Leagues this offseason.
The Angels are one of six teams looking for new managers. According to a source, other clubs have inquired about Pujols, although the Angels are the only team he has formally met with to discuss the possibility of managing.
In December 2011, Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels, which included a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract that went into effect after his retirement. What happens with that agreement would likely be part of any financial negotiations that would inevitably take place with the Angels.
Pujols has been a special guest instructor at the Angels’ spring training for the past three years and is considered a prime candidate by both Minasian, who held him in high regard even after releasing him in May 2021, and Angels owner Arte Moreno.
One of the greatest players of the 2000s, Pujols won three MVP awards and two World Series championships in a 22-year career that included 703 home runs, 2,218 RBIs, and 3,384 hits. His best years were in St. Louis, but the Angels could give him his first opportunity as a manager.
