Albert Pujols met with Angels general manager Perry Minasian on Thursday night in St. Louis to discuss the team’s managerial opening, league sources told The Athletic.
The meeting with the three-time MVP is believed to have gone very well, and the two sides are having preliminary discussions on a deal, though there is no agreement yet, according to a league source. An announcement is not expected to be imminent.
Pujols has been the favorite choice of Angels owner Arte Moreno. The club declined to pick up the option on manager Ron Washington’s contract on Sept. 30.
At this point, the sources say, it is essentially Pujols’ choice of whether he wants the job.
Former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter also remains in consideration for the job, but is considered a top option only if discussions with Pujols fall through.
One of the most important elements of the negotiation will be Pujols’ ongoing personal services contract with the Angels. Pujols and the Angels agreed to a 10-year, $10 million post-retirement contract as part of his 10-year, $240-million deal with the team in 2012. Pujols spent 10 seasons in Anaheim before being released in May 2021.
It’s unclear how the personal services deal would factor into his potential managerial contract with the Angels.
The hope is for the Angels to announce Pujols as manager sometime before the World Series. Notably, the league discourages teams from making certain announcements that overlap with postseason series, so the length of both championship series could play a role.
Discussions have also begun on a potential coaching staff under Pujols. It is believed that longtime Dodgers starter Ramon Martinez would be Pujols’ preferred choice as pitching coach. Martinez is the brother of Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez.
Pujols attended Angels camp the past three years as a guest instructor. He has expressed an interest in taking over as a big-league manager.
He managed Leones Del Escogido to a championship in the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) last year. He’s also set to lead the Dominican Republic national team in the World Baseball Classic next spring. If he took a big-league job, it almost certainly would impact his ability to manage in the WBC.
“Yeah. I think why not?” Pujols said in March when asked if he’d like to manage in the big leagues. “I think if the opportunity is right one day, I think I’ll be ready for that.”
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