The San Diego Padres’ managerial search has taken an intriguing turn, with Albert Pujols emerging as one of the frontrunners for the job.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the team spent an astonishing 9.5 hours in his second interview with the team.
Pujols, who retired after the 2022 MLB season, has been steadily gaining managerial experience since hanging up his cleats. He managed Leones del Escogido to both the Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series championships in early 2025, and he’s already been named the manager of Team Dominican Republic for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Despite lacking Major League coaching experience, the Hall of Famer's recent success abroad has reportedly impressed Padres officials.
Pujols’ baseball resume speaks for itself with 703 career home runs (fourth all-time), 3,384 hits, three MVP awards, two World Series titles, six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and 11 All-Star selections across 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Since retiring, he has also served as a special assistant with the Los Angeles, staying active in the sport’s development side.
San Diego began their managerial search after Mike Shildt’s unexpected retirement earlier this month. Shildt led the team to back-to-back postseason appearances in 2024 and 2025. He stepped away following a wild-card round loss to the Chicago Cubs. His departure created one of the most high-profile openings in baseball.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the National League West team has narrowed its candidate list to Albert Pujols, pitching coach Ruben Niebla, and former Padres catcher Nick Hundley.
The team conducted its first round of interviews via Zoom, featuring internal options such as bench coach Brian Esposito and Niebla, who has served as San Diego’s pitching coach for four years. But the second round shifted to in-person meetings at Petco Park. The Padres have reportedly kept the managerial search largely private, though a final decision could be imminent.
