Albert Pujols, Angels manager? Owner Arte Moreno reportedly wants former All-Star as next skipper

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Angels announced that neither manager Ron Washington nor interim skipper Ray Montgomery (who took over during Washington’s medical absence) would return to the dugout in 2026. It turns out that owner Arte Moreno may already have a preference for his next steward: former 11-time All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols.

Moreno is said to be so enamored with Pujols that The Athletic reported on Wednesday the decision might rest with Pujols — in other words, the gig could be Pujols’ if he wants it.

Pujols, 45, has been gaining coaching experience since retiring after the 2022 season. Last year, he won a title with Leones del Esogido of the Dominican Winter League. Pujols is also slated to manage the Dominican Republic in next spring’s World Baseball Classic.

Whatever one makes of Pujols’ managerial candidacy, there’s no denying that he authored an incredible playing career that was split between the Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Indeed, in parts of 22 years, Pujols batted .296/.374/.544 with 703 home runs and 117 stolen bases. His contributions were worth an estimated 101.2 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference’s calculations. Pujols was, as mentioned above, an 11-time All-Star honoree who won three Most Valuable Player Awards, two Gold Glove Awards, six Silver Slugger Awards, and two World Series titles. 

Pujols’ best years came in St. Louis as he had a 1.031 OPS and 469 homers in 12 seasons as a Cardinal. He signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels ahead of the 2012 season, posting a .758 OPS and 222 homers in his time as a Halo.

It ought to be noted that Pujols technically remains contracted to the Angels. The pact he signed with Los Angeles during his playing career included a post-retirement personal-services deal worth $10 million over 10 years. (MLB has since banned those provisions.) Pujols has, to date, served mostly as a team ambassador, and it’s unclear how him taking over as manager would impact that arrangement, if at all. 

The Angels, for their part, have burned through managers in recent seasons. Since Mike Scioscia left the post after the 2018 season, the Angels have hired and fired four different full-time skippers in seven years: Washington, Phil Nevin, Joe Maddon, and Brad Ausmus. 

The Angels have won 72 or 73 games in three of the last four seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2014.