The Los Angeles Angels are reportedly close to hiring their new manager, and it could be two-time World Series winner Albert Pujols, who recently held a meeting with the team’s General Manager to discuss the opening and a potential contract.
Sam Blum and Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the details: “Albert Pujols met with Angels GM Perry Minasian in St. Louis yesterday, to discuss the Angels’ managerial opening. Though nothing is official, the meeting went well, and a contract is being discussed.”
According to reporting, Pujols holds a significant advantage over any other candidate for the open position, as he is the clear favorite of Angels owner Arte Moreno. The managerial opening became official when the club declined to pick up manager Ron Washington’s contract option on September 30.
Should a contract agreement with Pujols fall through, former Angel Torii Hunter would be the backup candidate; Hunter played for the team from 2008 to 2012 but lacks any prior managerial experience.
When Could Pujols Be Announced?
According to the information from reporters Blum and Woo, the Angels will likely wait until the end of the current 2025 postseason to make the official announcement that Pujols will replace Washington, who reportedly dealt with health issues during the regular season.
The announcement timing is subject to league guidelines, as detailed in the report: “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.”