Albert Pujols is back in the managerial mix, and this time the opening is with one of the Angels’ division rivals.
According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Pujols has interviewed for the Houston Astros’ vacant manager job. It’s another turn in a process he was part of last offseason, when he reportedly sat down for openings with the Angels, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles. None of those jobs went his way, but he did add another managerial credential earlier this year by guiding the Dominican Republic to a bronze medal in the WBC.
That run came with its own controversy, as the Dominican Republic’s loss to Team USA was viewed by many as being more about an atrocious final strike call than anything especially revealing about Pujols’ managing.
Pujols’ profile has always come with a big personality, and that may have been part of why he didn’t land a job the first time around. He also reportedly has a personal services contract with soon-to-be former Halos owner Arte Moreno, and now he’s trying to turn that into a path to Houston.
Gonzalez reported that the deal is a ten-year contract worth $10 million and is entering year five, though a buyout could be worked out if the Astros decide they want Pujols badly enough.
The Astros’ search has some interesting connections. Pujols’ interview is scheduled for Thursday, and former New York Yankees bench coach and Astros catcher Brad Ausmus is also in the mix, with his ties potentially running deeper.
Houston also recently named former St. Louis Cardinals executive Randy Flores as its new GM, and Flores was a teammate of Pujols for five of the eight seasons Flores pitched in St.
Louis.
There aren’t many managerial openings left this year, and if Houston goes elsewhere, the Angels job would be the last one standing. But that opening comes with a new owner on the way, and there’s almost zero chance that Stan Kroenke and his KSE sports group would want to hire someone like Pujols, since Kroenke will want to cut any recent ties to the team’s past.
Pujols is 46 and eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028, where he’s widely expected to be a first ballot selection. For now, Houston looks like his last shot to get a manager’s chair before the lockout, which is currently expected to last into the spring of next year.
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