...
By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Retired slugger Albert Pujols' quest to manage an MLB team has taken several twists and turns. He interviewed with both the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres last fall, but ultimately ended up in a very different dugout.
When the Angels (Kurt Suzuki) and Padres (Craig Stammen) hired other first-time managers, Pujols piloted the Dominican Republic entry in the 2026 World Baseball Classic which lost to the United States, the tournament’s eventual runner-up. He is also the president of baseball operations for Estrellas Orientales of the Dominican Winter League. In 2025, in his first year as a professional manager, Pujols skippered Leones del Escogido to the league championship.
Read More on MLB
Pujols' next opportunity to manage in MLB might be the most obvious one.
The New York Mets recently fired manager Carlos Mendoza amid a disappointing season. Soon thereafter, John Harper of the New York Daily News reported that Pujols expressed interest in succeeding Mendoza and "has a very strong relationship with (Mets star Juan) Soto."
The Mets named special assistant Andy Green their interim manager, leaving president of baseball operations David Stearns plenty of time to find a permanent successor. Pujols, 46, deserves a call and an interview if nothing else.
...
Pujols would be a better fit in Queens than Anaheim or San Diego, which is not always the case for a manager.
With the Padres, former MLB outfielder Mike Cameron fretted that Pujols would act as a distraction for a team that would benefit from a lower-profile manager with more experience. The Padres' then-uncertain ownership situation (the Seidler family sold the majority share of the franchise to Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones in May) was not a strong selling point, either.
More news: Mets Lose Former All-Star to IL After Embarrassing Game Against Cubs
Neither of these issues are present in New York. Owner Steve Cohen has endowed the franchise with the sport's deepest payroll; Soto's record-shattering $765 million contract leaves him alone as the highest-paid player in baseball. Pujols is one of few living players who might understand the weight of those expectations.
The Mets (perhaps unlike the Padres) could use a manager with who is unafraid to command a spotlight, former coach Eric Chavez said.
"If your best players are Juan Soto and (Francisco) Lindor, you need a strong personality," Chavez said. "You need a leader — somebody who walks into the room and commands respect and dignity, you just know they're a leader."
Pujols was the first known candidate to interview for the Angels' job after the team declined Ron Washington's option for 2026. The issue there was not reportedly one of fit, but of contract length. Suzuki accepted the Angels' offer of a one-year deal, a rare position of weakness for a rookie manager to inherit.
More news: MLB Players Association Slams League’s Latest Offer as ‘Misleading’
Pujols was wise to pass on the Angels' offer. The team is languishing in last place in the American League West. The Mets are a last-place team, too, but should have the talent (and the financial flexibility from Cohen) to turn things around — if not in 2026, then in the years to come.
Chavez, for his part, was surprised the interim job did not go to Carlos Beltran. Currently a special assistant to Stearns, Beltran was the Mets' manager for less than three months after the 2019 season ended. His role in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal cost him the job (but not a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame) before he could manage a game. The stain of cheating having faded, Beltran offers many of the same credentials as Pujols, and is more familiar with the Mets organization.
But perhaps an outside voice is needed. Pujols has more managing experience than Beltran. He's had success in the role in the Dominican Republic. Pujols might be able to get the most out of a downtrodden group of players crumbling amid elevated expectations.
The Mets have nowhere to go but up, and Pujols has the credentials to help them get there.
For more MLB news, visit Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines