Albert Pujols Out of the Running for Angels’ Manager
Sources confirmed this Monday that Albert Pujols is no longer under consideration to be the manager of the Los Angeles Angels.
However, Pujols is scheduled for an interview on Wednesday for the vacant manager position of the San Diego Padres, according to a source.
The Baltimore Orioles had also previously shown interest, although an interview has not been scheduled, according to the source.
The Padres joined seven other teams in the search for a new manager after Mike Shildt announced his retirement, including the Angels, Orioles, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, and Minnesota Twins.
Pujols, 45 years old, is highly regarded by the two most influential Padres players: Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Currently, Pujols is a special assistant to the Angels, as part of a 10-year, $10 million contract that was activated after his retirement in 2022. He interviewed with Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis on October 9, but talks between the two sides are no longer ongoing.
The Angels have granted permission to the Padres to interview Pujols.
Pujols has expressed a great interest in managing at the Major League level for years and led a Dominican winter league team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Pujols was named manager of the Dominican Republic for the next World Baseball Classic, although he would likely resign from that position if he gets a job in the Major Leagues this offseason.
The Angels declined the 2026 option in manager Ron Washington’s contract after the regular season.
