Albert Pujols is committed to staying involved with baseball now that his playing days are over, and the former All-Star slugger has another lofty goal in mind.
Pujols retired following the 2022 season. He has a 10-year, $10 million post-retirement personal services contract with the Los Angeles Angels and is in camp with the team as a guest instructor this week. When asked on Monday if he hopes to join an MLB team’s staff in a full-time role at some point, Pujols had a straightforward response.
“Yeah. I think, why not? I think if the opportunity is right one day, I think I’ll be ready for that,” Pujols said, via Sam Blum of The Athletic.
Pujols recently accepted a job as the manager of a winter league team in his native Dominican Republic. He clearly views that gig as a potential stepping stone, as he described the job as “an opportunity to get a job up here in the big leagues one day.”
Pujols played for some of the most respected managers in MLB history in Tony La Russa, Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon. He said he is planning to meet with La Russa during spring training to talk managing. The 44-year-old said hopes to incorporate all of his former managers’ styles into his own.
“You learn a lot. You pick their brain,” Pujols said. “I was always that kind of player that asked questions.”
With 11 All-Star appearances, three MVP awards, two World Series rings, and 703 career home runs, Pujols is one of the best players in MLB history. The path he has taken after retirement is further proof of how much he loves the game.
