Albert Pujols Reportedly '1st Choice' for Angels Manager Job After 'Positive' Meeting

Albert Pujols appears to be moving closer to becoming the new manager of the Los Angeles Angels.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, Pujols had a "positive" meeting with Angels officials, including owner Arte Moreno, and he is considered the "first choice" for the managerial job if they can agree to financial terms.

This is the direction that has been expected since the Angels announced on Oct. 4 that Ron Washington wasn't having his option for next picked up. They also said interim manager Ray Montgomery, who filled in while Washington was out after undergoing heart surgery in June, would not return in that role.

Per The Athletic's Sam Blum, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal, Pujols was believed to be the preferred choice of Moreno to manage the Angels.

The report noted Moreno holds Pujols in "high regard" and the decision may ultimatley come down to whether or not Pujols wanted the job.

Blum and Woo reported that the meeting between Pujols and Angels general manager Perry Minasian took place on Thursday night and it was "believed to have gone very well," with the two sides having "preliminary discussions" about a deal.

It was noted that an announcement about Pujols' hiring was not considered imminent.

Former MLB All-Stars Torii Hunter and Michael Young have also been cited as potential candidates for the Angels, but that is likely only in the event Pujols turns them down.

The Angels are already paying Pujols $1 million a year through 2032 as part of his personal services deal that was part of his original 10-year, $254 million free-agent contract with the club signed in December 2011.

Pujols has never managed or coached at the MLB level, but he does have experience as a manager with Leones del Escogido during the 2024-25 Dominican Professional Baseball League season.

Leones del Escogido won the LIDOM and Caribbean Series titles with Pujols managing the club.

The Angels are coming off a last-place finish in the AL West this season with a 72-90 record. They have just four winning seasons and one playoff appearance since 2010.