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It seems the Los Angeles Angels have made up their mind about their next manager, though he still has to agree.Â
According to a report from Sam Blum and Katie Woo of The Athletic, the job will go to Albert Pujols as long as he wants it. “It is essentially Pujols’ choice of whether he wants the job,” Blum and Woo write. Per the report, Pujols met with general manager Perry Minasian on Thursday night and the meeting went well. Discussions on a deal are in the works, but there’s not yet an agreement in place.
Albert Pujols has been considered a front-runner for the Angels job
It was reported just over a week ago that Pujols would interview for the job and would be a front-runner. That was just a few days after it was reported that neither Ron Washington nor Ray Montgomery would be back in the job. Washington opened the 2025 season as the skipper but was away for most of the year due to quadruple bypass surgery, with Montgomery covering for him on an interim basis. Torii Hunter has also been reported as a candidate but Friday’s reporting indicates that Hunter would only be a real consideration if things fall through with Pujols.
Per Blum and Woo, the Angels hope to make an official announcement before the World Series, though there are still some contractual things to work out. The report suggests that Pujols’s personal services contract could be a factor.
The 10-year, $240M contract he signed with the Angels in 2011 included a 10-year, $10M personal services contract for after his retirement as a player. He finished his playing career after the 2022 season. He had been released by the Angels and then spent some time with the Dodgers and Cardinals. In February 2023, he rejoined the Angels as a special assistant to honor that personal services pact. Since he’s only three seasons into that deal, there are seven years left. It’s not clear how the existing contract would impact whatever is being negotiated for him to take the skipper job.
Albert Pujols’ managerial experience is lacking
Pujols has previously expressed an interest in becoming a manager but has no experience in affiliated ball, either as a manager or as a coach. He managed Leones del Escogido, a Dominican winter ball team, last offseason. The Leones won the Serie Final over Tigres del Licey in seven games. Pujols is slated to manage the Dominican Republic national team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic but would presumably have to bow out of that gig if he signs with the Angels.
Assuming the sides are able to cross the T’s and dot the I’s, then Pujols will be in the Angels dugout yet again. It feels like a fait accompli at this point, as Blum and Woo report that the coaching staff negotiations are also already in motion. The report notes that former big leaguer Ramón MartÃnez, brother of Pedro MartÃnez, is Pujols’s top choice for pitching coach. Barry Enright has been the Halos’ pitching coach for the past two years but it’s fairly common for new managers to make some coaching changes.
The Halos haven’t had a winning season since 2015. Mike Scioscia had a long run as the club’s skipper, from 2000 to 2018. Since then, as the club has struggled, there has been a lot more turnover. Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon, Phil Nevin, Washington and Montgomery have been at the helm in recent years. It seems Pujols will likely be the next guy to get a chance to turn the ship around.
