Once considered the favorite to be the next manager of the Los Angeles Angels, Albert Pujols is no longer a candidate for the job, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“Pujols was the Angels’ top choice at the start but the sides differed on coaches, resources and compensation,” Heyman wrote. “Parameters were discussed.”
With Pujols out of the mix, the team has a slew of internal candidates that could take the job. Kurt Suzuki and Torii Hunter, who both have roles in the organization's front office, are the leading candidates according to Heyman. Former Astros manager and current third base coach Bo Porter has also publicly stated he is interested in the job.
Whoever ultimately becomes the next manager of the Angels will have their work cut out for them. Los Angeles has not finished above .500 since 2015 and has not won a playoff games since 2009, the same year the team drafted Mike Trout out of high school.
With Trout now entering his mid-30s and years removed form his last All-Star season, time is running out for one of the best players this century to make his mark in October.
The Angels are coming off a 72-90 season in which manager Ron Washington stepped away from the team in June for health reasons and did not return. The team announced after teh season that he would not be back for 2026.
As for Pujols, Heyman adds that he is still in the running for the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles managerial positions. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune reported on Monday that the Padres have reached out to Pujols and plans to interview him as they try and replace Mike Shildt, who abruptly retired last week.
There's no indication that the Orioles have reached out to Pujols yet, but if they do, the club can perhaps lure him with a roster of young talent that should be ready to contend soon.
