The Albert Pujols-Los Angeles Angels managerial marriage reportedly will not be happening.
According to The Athletic, Pujols is no longer being considered for the Angels’ vacant managerial position.
The Angels’ manager position is open after they parted ways with manager Ron Washington after the 2025 season. The 73-year-old left the team in June due to health issues and did not ultimately return.
Pujols has not managed in the majors but did spend 10 seasons in an Angels uniform, amassing 222 home runs, 783 RBIs and a .783 OPS in 1,181 games for the Angels.
The Angels Reportedly Would Not Meet Albert Pujols’ Contract Demands
According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, the Angels are on the hook for $7 million over the next seven years as part of Pujols’ personal-services contract — which owner Arte Moreno inked the former sure-fire future Hall of Famer after Pujols announced his retirement in 2022.
Yet, according to Blum, and other reports, things were trending in the right direction for Pujols becoming the Angels manager, until things seemed to hit a snag.
“It was just 11 days ago that Pujols met with [general manager Perry] Minasian in St. Louis to discuss the job. The conversation went well, sources said, and strong momentum had been building toward a contract,” Blum reported. “At the time, he was the only candidate receiving serious consideration. … Itâs unclear exactly what both sidesâ expectations were to get a deal done.”
Pujols has been open about his desire to become a major-league manager, and according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres are considering him for their vacant managerial posts.
According to The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli, that added demand had an impact on Pujols’ negotiating leverage — and the $1 million annual salary Moreno is already paying Pujols, affected what the Angels owner was willing to pay him.
Torii Hunter, Kurt Suzuki Being Considered Along With Other Former MLB Managers
So we know Pujols won’t be the Angels’ next manager. But what we are slowly finding out is the club has other potential candidates in mind for their opening.
According to Blum, potential rookie managers, and former Angels players, Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki are being considered for the position. Each, like Pujols, has a personal-services contract as an assistant to Minasian, yet it is unclear whether they are as lucrative as Pujols’ seven-figure deal.
Suzki is a World Series-winning catcher with the Washington Nationals who played his final two seasons in an Angels uniform.
Hunter, of course, played for the Angels and won three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger Award and was a two-time All-Star with the Angels and helped them win their most recent postseason series, a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in 2009.
Yet, Minasian and Moreno reportedly aren’t only considering cheap rookie managers. They are also interested in former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and recently fired Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
Hyde was the 2023 AL Manager of the Year after guiding the Orioles to a 101-win season, one of their two postseason appearances in his seven seasons in Baltimore. Hyde was fired after Baltimore opened 15-28 this season.
Baldelli, like Hyde, won AL Manager of the Year, in 2019, which was one of his three postseason berths in Minnesota. He was let go after the Twins went 72-90 this season.
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