Jun 17, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; A detail view of a San Diego Padres hat on a glove in the dugout in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Cardinals Legend To Interview For Padres Manager Opening After Angels News

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals were quick to decide on their manager for 2026. Despite several teams having managerial openings, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom quickly announced that Oli Marmol would stay in his position next season.

However, a few Cardinals legends have expressed their desire to start managing soon. Albert Pujols had been in talks with the Los Angeles Angels about their managerial opening, but Jon Heyman confirmed that Pujols will not be their next skipper.

However, there are still plenty of other teams that could potentially hire him. The Baltimore Orioles were among those teams, and the San Diego Padres have now entered the fold.

Cardinals Legend To Interview For Padres Manager Opening

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego News Tribune, the Padres plan to interview Pujols for their managerial opening. They recently watched ex-Cardinals manager Mike Shildt step down as their manager.

Pujols has no managerial experience at the Major League level, but he did manage the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican League to a championship last winter. He is also on tap to manage the Dominican national team in the World Baseball Classic next spring.

The 45-year-old future Hall-of-Famer has been with the Angels in a personal services role, which includes coaching and front office work. If the Padres were to hire him, they would be going with somebody completely fresh.

While he has no experience, he would instantly have the respect of the clubhouse thanks to his career accolades as a player. He was a two-time World Series champion and three-time National League MVP with St. Louis. Acee notes that this is what has drawn the Padres and other teams to him.

He is an 11-time All-Star in addition to his other career accolades. The Padres will interview him on Wednesday.

Pujols would certainly be an interesting choice for the Padres to replace Shildt given hs lack of experience, but the Padres clearly see something that they like. He'll at the very least be able to gain the respect and trust of the clubhouse, and he would have the opportunity to manage a postseason contending team, which could set him up well for future success.

It will be interesting to see how his interview with the Padres goes and if they will ultimately decide to bring him on board as their next skipper.

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

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