Albert Pujols had been viewed for weeks as the favorite to become the next manager of the Los Angeles Angels, but he is reportedly no longer in consideration for the job.
The Angels are not going to hire Pujols, Sam Blum of The Athletic reported on Monday. While there was mutual interest, the two sides apparently have not been able to find common ground on a contract. It is “very unlikely” that anything will change on that front, according to Blum.
Pujols met with Angels general manager Perry Minasian recently and was, at the time, believed to be the only candidate receiving legitimate consideration. There had been several reports that the former slugger was Angels owner Arte Moreno’s top choice.
Pujols is currently under contract with the Angels. The 10-year, $240 million contract he signed with the team in 2012 included a 10-year personal services contract that kicked in after Pujols retired in 2022. L.A. owes Pujols $7 million per year over the next seven years, which may have complicated negotiations between the 45-year-old and the team.
With Pujols no longer in the mix, Blum reports that Moreno has interest in former Angels stars Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki as well.
Pujols, an 11-time All-Star who ranks fourth on MLB’s all-time home run list with 703 homers, has no previous MLB managerial experience. He managed Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League to a championship last year and has agreed to manage the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pujols may back out of the World Baseball Classic if he lands an MLB manager job.
There is at least one other MLB team that reportedly has interest in hiring Pujols, so those negotiations could now intensify.
