Though he enjoyed most of his best moments in the big leagues wearing a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, legendary hitter Albert Pujols also spent a significant portion of his career in Anaheim. After entering free agency following the 2011 season, Pujols signed a 10-year deal with the Angels worth around $254 million.

It appears Pujols might be set to enjoy another stint at Angel Stadium in the near future, this time as the team’s manager. After the Angels relieved former skipper Ron Washington of his duties on Tuesday, insider Ken Rosenthal reported that Pujols is “the lead candidate” to take over.

“Albert Pujols could be returning to the Angels dugout, but as their manager,” the post read, citing @Ken_Rosenthal.

### Fan Reactions to the News

Reacting to the news, several fans expressed concerns, claiming that the Angels needed someone with much more experience managing at the big league level.

One fan wrote, “God, I’d hate this.”

Another commented, “Zero managerial experience, already on the books (read: economical/cheap), and no serious plan for fixing the team. This tracks.”

Others added:

– “Past players who manage aren’t always great coaches (without experience). Guess we’ll find out.”

– “Can already see Albert Pujols relieved of his duties after a 10-30 record start.”

– “Great, somebody with no managerial experience.”

– “Thx, I hate it.”

### Albert Pujols’ Managerial Aspirations and Experience

Albert Pujols has already made his aspirations to manage in the big leagues clear. Having enjoyed an extremely successful playing career, he is now determined to replicate that success as a manager.

So far, the 45-year-old has managed the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, leading them to the 2024-25 league title and a Caribbean Series championship in 2025. Pujols has also been chosen to lead the Dominican Republic National Baseball Team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

In an exclusive interview uploaded to the “New York Post Sports” YouTube channel on September 26, Pujols discussed his current preparation for the 2026 tournament and his ambitions of managing in the majors.

“I’m a player’s manager. I have the opportunity to go back this year to the Dominican Republic, and to be able to lead them to a championship. So, I’m doing a lot of hard work with that. Now I’m really focused on that,” Pujols said.

“Hopefully, [after this] I get an opportunity to be a manager in the big leagues. I’m staying busy in the things that I know and that I’m good at, just trying to continue to set an example for others,” he added.

### Looking Ahead for the Angels

Having endured another disappointing season in 2025, the Angels finished bottom of the AL West with a 72-90 record. If Albert Pujols is eventually named manager as reports claim, fans will be hoping he can lead the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

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**About the author**
Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, awaiting results for a Bachelor’s in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting key battles between players and analyzing decisive moments in the game. One of his favorite moments was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball’s best players faced off in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

A Baltimore Orioles fan, Raghav enjoys watching an exciting young team compete at the top of a competitive division. He has loved sports for as long as he can remember and discovered his passion for writing at around age 14. Combining the two led him to a career he enjoys every day.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out, and watching movies.
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