Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) reacts after his single in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Angels Making Mistake With Cardinals Legend Albert Pujols

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 1:23 PM ET

Reports have been swirling for weeks about the possibility of St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols returning to a Major League Baseball dugout as a manager.

The team that has been linked to Pujols the most has been the Los Angeles Angels, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Monday that Los Angeles no longer is in the mix for the Cardinals legend.

"The Angels and their original first choice to manage, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, have broken off talks after a few differences came up in early conversations," Heyman said. "Pujols is drawing interest from the Padres and reportedly also the Orioles to manage now. Pujols was the Angels’ top choice at the start but the sides differed on coaches, resources and compensation. Parameters were discussed. Angels executive Kurt Suzuki and Torii Hunter -- a former Angels and (Minneosta Twins) star -- are among the leading managerial candidates now on a long list."

Pujols' chances at a managerial position has been discussed at length over the last year. He made it clear that he's interested in returning to a dugout in the big leagues after spending some time with Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. There was a time in which he was speculated as a fit for the Cardinals, but the manager job never opened up.

Now, he has fewer options ahead of him. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan reported last week that the Baltimore Orioles have interest in Pujols. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the San Diego Padres have interest in Pujols as well.

Albert Pujols won't be the manager of the Angels

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pujols was a legend on the field across his 22 big league seasons. His final season back in 2022 was one of the most fun seasons in recent memory for the Cardinals in large part due to Pujols' chase for 700 homers. He ended up reaching the threshold down the stretch and finished his career with 703 homers.

He saw it all throughout his career. Plenty of wins and personal success, as well as some down years as well. Pujols can help a team, but it won't be Los Angeles in 2026. That's arguably a mistake on the Angels' part. Los Angeles has been a team consistently at the bottom of the American League standings in recent years. Los Angeles finished the 2025 season in last place in the AL West with a 72-90 record. They finished in last place in 2024 as well at 63-99.

Los Angeles hasn't finished a season with a .500 record or better since 2015 when they had an 85-77 record. While this is the case, Pujols is someone who spent time in the organization himself -- including on that 2015 team -- and has had more success throughout his career than likely most candidates the team will have. Letting Pujols walk over something like salary or coaching choices is wrong.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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