Albert Pujols Out of the Running for Angels Manager Job
Sources confirmed this Monday that Albert Pujols is no longer a candidate to be the manager of the Los Angeles Angels.
However, Pujols is scheduled for an interview for the manager position of the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.
The Baltimore Orioles have also shown interest, although an interview has not yet been scheduled.
The Padres joined seven other teams in the search for a new manager after Mike Shildt announced his retirement, including the Angels, Orioles, Braves, Giants, Nationals, Rockies, and Twins.
Pujols, 45 years old, is highly valued by the most influential players of the Padres, 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 the conversations between the two 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 baseball team, the Leones del Escogido, to a championship in January. Pujols was named manager of his native 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.
The Angels declined the 2026 option in manager Ron Washington’s contract after the regular season.
