An MLB legend could soon be back in the game.
Albert Pujols is believed to be Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno's top choice to become the team's next manager, The Athletic reported on Wednesday.
The Angels declined manager Ron Washington's 2026 option on Tuesday after the team finished last in the AL West at 72-90. Washington, 73, left the team in June after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery but said he was told the decision was about performance and not health.
Pujols, 45, spent 10 years as a player with the Angels after signing a landmark 10-year, $240-million contract in December 2011.
He retired in 2022 after a 22-year career that also included 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he won three MVPs and two World Series, and a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Pujols, a seemingly surefire Hall of Famer who launched 703 home runs with a career .296 batting average, has already been selected as the Dominican Republic's manager for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
He's also collected managerial experience in the Dominican Winter League.
