Albert Pujols Considered for Angels Manager
The legendary first baseman and future Hall of Famer, Albert Pujols, met with Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis on Thursday night to discuss the team’s vacant manager position. The news, confirmed by sources close to the process, has generated great anticipation in the baseball world.
Although a formal offer has not yet been made, 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. His experience includes having led the Leones del Escogido, a team in the Dominican winter league, to a championship in January.
Previously, Pujols was named manager of the Dominican Republic for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, although he is likely to relinquish that position if he gets a job in the Major Leagues this offseason.
The Angels are one of six teams looking for new managers. According to sources, other clubs have shown interest in Pujols, but 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. Any financial negotiations with the Angels would likely include this agreement.
Pujols has been a special guest instructor at Angels spring training for the last three years and is considered a prime candidate by both Minasian, who valued him highly even after his release in May 2021, and Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Pujols, one of the most outstanding players of the 2000s, won three MVP awards and two World Series championships in a 22-year career, during which he hit 703 home runs, drove in 2,218 runs, and got 3,384 hits. Although his best years were in St. Louis, the Angels could give him his first opportunity as a manager.
