The San Diego Padres are looking for a new manager yet again. Mike Shildt announced his retirement earlier this week, but there are some questions about the truth of what really happened. Ken Rosenthal doesn't even believe he retired on his own volition. The facts will eventually come out, but for now, the Padres are aiming to find a true culture setter for a talented roster.
The roster is led by Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. The two superstars from the Dominican Republic are two of the best players in the game and have led the Padres to the postseason four times in the last six seasons. They were coached by veteran managers, Shildt and Bob Melvin. Things just did not work out with them in control, and General Manager A.J. Preller is scrambling to try to find the right guy.
Albert Pujols could be that guy.
The legendary player for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels wants to get into coaching and could very well be a manager for an MLB team in 2026. With Mike Shildt retired, Preller should put serious consideration into Pujols becoming the manager.
Let's take a look at three reasons why A.J. Preller must do so.
Reason No. 3 – Pujols is Serious About Coaching
Pujols has been eager about coaching for a while now. He recently said that he was serious about it.
“For me, I’ve always been serious about everything that I do in this game,” Pujols told USA Today in March, “and now I’m serious about managing. This game has done so much for me, and now, I want to give back. I'm ready.”
This came as the current season was getting started. Pujols has had about half a year to put his name on a couple of teams' lists.
Pujols may interview for the Baltimore Orioles job, as they have expressed interest. He has also already interviewed for the Angels job. There is no reason why the Padres shouldn't be the third team on the list.
Reason No. 2 – Pujols Will Be a True Culture Setter
The Machine is one of the top hitters of all time. You can make an argument that his prime seasons can go toe to toe with any hitter ever. He played for a long time and built relationships with many people. Baseball is a part of his blood, and his seriousness about coaching makes everyone believe he will be a great coach.
Pujols is currenlty the manager for Leones del Escogido in the DR. In one season, he saw a lot of success, winning the Serie Final and Caribbean Series.
The Padres have a clubhouse filled with personality. There have been many issues “within” as of late, as they have gone through an ownership change, as well as the ongoing chaos with Shildt's departure. Bringing in Pujols would silence a lot of the doubt, and it would immediately prove that this ballclub is serious about the relationships in-house.
A prime example of a culture change that Pujols can bring is changing the approach at the plate. Under Shildt, the Padres played small ball. The slug was almost non-existent in clutch situations, and it hurt them in the postseason the last two seasons. You can count on the Padres' bats to start to come alive under The Machine's vision.
Reason No. 1 – Pujols is a Perfect Mentor to Machado, Tatis Jr.
Machado and Tatis are the stars of the team. The team goes wherever they take them. At the start of 2025, Tatis Jr and Machado played at a very high level. The Friars were one of the top teams in the league. They cooled off as the season progressed, and you really saw their slug and home run power fade. MLB is a long season, and it seemed that the motivation faded as well.
Pujols can come in and relate to the two superstars, growing up in the same country. He wouldn't let their emotions get the best of them. Machado and Tatis have shown a ton of maturity over the years, and this change could be what they are missing to get them over the hump.
