On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels announced that manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery would not be returning to the club for 2026. As such, the Angels will now begin searching for a new voice to lead the clubhouse.
According to Sam Blum, Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Angels seem to have a candidate in mind, and it’s a familiar face.
“The Angels may look to a very familiar face for their next managerial hire. Longtime MLB superstar Albert Pujols is believed to be the leading choice for the job for Angels owner Arte Moreno, league sources told The Athletic.”
Pujols played 10 of his 22 major league seasons with the Angels. He was released in 2021 before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers and finishing his career back with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted that Pujols was expected to be interviewed for the position.
What hiring Albert Pujols as manager would mean for the Angels
Pujols has been preparing for a potential MLB managerial job. Over the winter, he led the Leones del Esogido to a championship in his first year at the helm and has already been selected to manage the Dominican national team in next year’s World Baseball Classic.
If he were to be named the Halos’ next manager, he would be stepping into a very familiar environment, having played alongside Mike Trout for the entirety of his Angels tenure. He also has a personal services contract that he is fulfilling with the Halos.
As a former player, Pujols would likely at the very least have the respect of the clubhouse. However, he is not their best option, and they should look elsewhere to hire a manager.
While Pujols has been working towards becoming a manager, he also has no experience at the major league level, even as a coach. The Angels are going to need somebody with more experience who has a track record of success in order to get the franchise back to where it once was.
First-year managers are often a major gamble, and it isn’t one worth taking for a team that produced yet another 90-plus loss season in 2025. Pujols certainly won’t endear himself to the fans if the team continues to struggle, and that could ultimately cut his time as the skipper short if things don’t go well.
Other options include Bob Melvin, Rocco Baldelli and even Skip Schumaker, a former teammate of Pujols from their days in St. Louis. Those options are more established and would be better fits to try and turn the franchise around.