Albert Pujols won’t be the next manager of the Angels, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman writes that Pujols and the club have broken off talks due to differences between the sides regarding “coaches, resources, and compensation.” The Athletic’s Sam Blum reports that while circumstances could change, it’s believed to be “very unlikely” that the sides find common ground after being unable to get close in terms of dollars and years on hypothetical contract.
It wasn’t long ago that Pujols appeared to be the prohibitive favorite for the job. Blum reports that when Pujols and Minasian met in St. Louis 11 days ago to discuss the managerial job, the conversation went well and there was momentum towards a contract. Clearly, however, there was a financial gap between the sides that they were unable to bridge. One wrinkle in the matter is the ten-year, $10MM personal services contract Pujols signed with the Angels during his free agent negotiations with the club back in 2011. There are still seven years and $7MM remaining on that contract, and previous reporting indicated that the deal could be a factor in negotiations though it’s unclear exactly what role it played.
While Pujols won’t be the next manager in Anaheim, that doesn’t mean he won’t be in a dugout next year. The future Hall of Famer is set to interview with both the Padres and the Orioles, though he faces more competition in the races for those jobs than he did in Anaheim. Pujols was more or less the only candidate being considered by the Halos until talks began to stall. By contrast, both the Padres and Orioles have been connected to Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, while interim Orioles manager Tony Mansolino remains a candidate in Baltimore and the Padres have also been connected to Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley.
As for the Angels, former players Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki are set to interview for the position. Blum reports that both are in the mix and that Hunter in particular is still a candidate but “not a slam-dunk” to land the job. He adds that while the team has interest in speaking to former Twins and Orioles managers Rocco Baldelli and Brandon Hyde, it’s unclear if that interest is mutual with either ex-skipper. Baldelli recently expressed an interest in returning to the dugout at some point but indicated he could look to take some time away from the game to spend with his family. Hyde, meanwhile, is known to have spoken to Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey amid San Francisco’s own managerial search.
Perhaps with Pujols no longer in consideration, the Angels will advance their managerial search in the coming days. That could offer some clarity on the status of possible candidates like Hyde and Baldelli, as well as other possible targets like Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and former Astros manager Bo Porter, who served as the Angels’ third base coach this season and has expressed interest in Anaheim’s managerial gig both publicly and privately after interviewing for the position two years ago before the hiring of Ron Washington.
Interesting
Get a room.
Lord – They can’t, Amazon Web Services crashed.
Thank goodness. No Pujols. He can’t fleece the organization for more loot.
Hang in there Stevie.
Albert Pujols did not fleece the organization.
Arte Moreno fleeced the organization’s fans.
If the age rumors are true, Pujols effectively fleeced the Angels and their fans by signing a superstar contract when his best years were behind him.
Yes he was a superstar in STL but he was still pretty good throughout with the Halos. Not exactly a fleecing.
Rendon however..yikes
Pujols last five years with the Angels he had a combined negative WAR.
Because of injuries, Rendon doesn’t play, but he’s never had a negative WAR.
However neither players fleeced the owner.
Pujols did indeed fleece the organization. Poor performance and questionable attitude, reports of his refusal to DH and bat lower in the order, not to mention pressuring the Angels to release him early. I am convinced Pujols was already 35 when the Angels signed him. Would love to see a genuine birth certificate. It is a fact that several of the Dominican players have fudged their age.
Come on. Pujols was awful.
As I said he was pretty good with the Angels. Look at his overall war with the Angels..again pretty good.
Rendons contract was a disaster no matter how you slice it
Pujols was one of the best 1st base men ever. Career WAR over 100.
See a birth certificate geez. By what you are saying his last season he would have been playing at like 50-51years old and he was great his final year.
Sure he declined with the Angels starting with his age 37 season but no team signs a guy mega long term with eyes on what their performance is like in the back half. His first 5 or 6 years with the Angels were good, not great but good and that’s what they paid for. If he had other decent hitters in that lineup (besides Trout) his stats probably would have looked closer to what he put up in STL
Moreno chases headlines, not wins. One of the worst owners in professional sports, period. He needs to go.
In other words, you can’t pick your coaches, we’re not going to spend much in FA, and we’re going to pay you like a first time manager, not a long time winner. We want your name to sell some tickets, but that’s really it. The computer will pick the lineup, and make the pitching decisions.
The Dodgers computer picks their lineup and manages their bullpen. It is a newer model than the Commodore 64 Arte has, though.
That bodes well for the future. Arte had been using an older Apple II he’d found at a garage sale, so the Commodore is a real upgrade, what, better part of a decade newer? Should add a win or two
Halos – Yeah but can the Dodgers computer play Pong and Breakout?
Oregon trail only
Raid Over Moscow was the best Commodore 64 game. LOAD”*”,8,1
The Angels always spend in free agency. And Pujols might be a long time winner as a player but he has no experience winning anything as a manager. Not to mention hes already massively rich.
Former players have egos that get in the way of things. Seems like thats exactly what’s happening here.
The Angels used to have a secure long term cable TV deal. No longer the case.
It will be very interesting to see what the Angels spend the next few years.
Plus Arte has been known to skimp on scouting and development. I think Perry has reversed that trend lately, but we shall see.
HalosHeavenJJ: “The Angels used to have a secure long term cable TV deal. No longer the case.”
Arte is way out ahead of this. He’s asking for a $4B tv deal contingent on him signing soon-to-be 32 y.o. Bregman to a $840M 14 year contract..
This is just flat out not true. Pujols managed the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League to both the Dominican PBL and Caribbean Series championships less than a year ago. He quite literally has done nothing except win since becoming a manager.
I don’t read too much into Pujol’s success in the DR Winter league. He’s a national hero in the DR and I’m thinking young DR players would be star struck. Also, don’t forget that he actually had a sub .5oo regular season.
Ah, they don’t have a 162 game season and this would be MLB job, not a hobby job…..
Cmon Stan. Are you really comparing the two, or just trolling?
Oh they’ll spend in free agency but it’ll be on a very overrated player for $350 million or something. Everything else will get ignored.
would have been a great comment had you said 10 year, 240 million dollar contract
Pujols WAS a long time winner when he wore a Cardinals uniform, not so much in an Angels jersey
Fans don’t come to the ballpark for the manager. Dumb statement.
If Albert is fighting for some control and input he should know that doesn’t fly with Arte.
Either he has a sense he can get another job and has leverage or he realizes failing at his first job is bad for his long term outlook.
HalosHeavenJJ: “If Albert is fighting for some control and input he should know that doesn’t fly with Arte.”
Arte likes hiring underqualified people that can’t get the same jobs elsewhere. That way, he can keep prioritizing improving his net worth over winning and his GM/Mangers will squirm and dance to protect his image during interviews. GMPM’s last few press conferences have had a hostage tape vibe.
Albert: “My only demand is A/C in the weight room.”
Arte: “Get out of my office, you greedy pig.”
Angels stadium is owned and controlled by the City. Arte tried to buy the stadium and take care of the overdue repairs that are needed. The city wants to sell the property to Disney, to build another overpriced theme park. Which is why the city is crying poor and no doing the necessary repairs, that need to be done. But hey the city repaved part of the parking lot.
lol, that is a huge misrepresentation. The value the city provided is the $1/yr land lease. This is the same deal that the Cowboys stadium has and the team is responsible for maintence and repairs.
In fact the best stadiums are all like this: Cowboys, Pirates, T=Mobile, Citi Field.
Make no mistake, Arte is just cheap.
Though there is a rumor Ive now heard multiple times this month from finance friends is that the civil trial liability assignment was a major problem in the previous sale attempt and that Lacob specifically all but had deal terms locked in (the ones leaked to the public). The growing theory is that post trial that deal might be revisited swiftly. The trial should be completed before the EOY too, so we will see.
bk – I don’t understand that stance about Arte being cheap.
Sure he’s pissed away a lot of money over the years, but he’s spent.
In reverse year order …
10th
13th
7th
9th
4th
11th
9th
6th
11th
7th
Trying to take fans from the Dodgers ain’t easy.
How desperate Arte must be to be refusing to install A/C in the weight room even when asked by the team’s ‘Ace’!
I guess I should rephrase, he abhors spending money on anything outside player contracts. Development, facilities, scouting, living minor league wages, hell Perry didnt even have a AGM for the majority of his tenure.
The reason the Angels draft and call-up so quickly is they are essentially “vote of no confidence” anything between amateur players and making a bro debut and it shows in the results.
California fans are mostly Fairweather, it’s how the Angels got all of those “life long” Angels fans conveniently after winning the World Series in ’02. It’s also how the Clippers and Warriors have jerseys everywhere when they win and nowhere when they suck.
Putting an actual competitive team on the field cures all and the Angels have finished 13th in attendance each of the last 4 seasons and were mainstays in the top 10 from 2003-2019
Fever Pitch Guy: “I don’t understand that stance about Arte being cheap.”
1) The team is in the nations second largest market. The payrolls are more like mid-size market
2) The payrolls are inflated by dumb big-name signings designed more for marketing (especially TV contracts) than they are designed to build a winning team.
3) Moreno forces stupid penny-wise pound-foolish restrictions on building team depth/balance, scouting, farm system, etc. And that’s how you put up a decade without a playoff appearance or even a winning season in the nation’s second largest market. All while Moreno’s personal net worth has skyrocketed.
He is cheap
Arte will spend on free agents.
He’s also had a very skinny front office, a thin training staff, had the worst living conditions in the minors, absolutely no presence in the DR for years, fired all his scouts the Covid year etc.
There’s a lot to running an organization and Arte spends on one area.
Rsox: “California fans are mostly Fairweather”
Lol. The big-market Angels haven’t won a playoff game since 2009. They haven’t made the playoffs at all in over a decade. They haven’t even had a winning season in over a decade. They have lost 90+ games two seasons in a row.
And…..the average home attendance this season, after all that, was 32K.
In fact, Angel fans are the opposite of fair weather. Moreno knows he can keep losing and he’ll still get his money.
Swing and a miss comment!
Red Sox and Angels almost the exact same attendance little dog. Where are you getting your stats, from your feelings?
With Angels not having had a winning team now since 2015 and the red sox having been a WS champ recently, it probably should be argued that all boston fans are frontrunners and only fill the stadiums for instagram videos during the playoffs.
hhjj – I’ve said it many times…Moreno spends a relatively high amount of money but in the wrong places. Winning begins and ends with pitching and Moreno treats pitching like it is completely unnecessary. He’ll spend big on big hitters who are on the down slope of their careers like Pujols, Hamilton, Rendon, et al. Then he spends what’s left on pitchers hoping for a bounce back season to jump start a once mediocre career. It’s the same every season…and we’ve finished under .500 every season for over a decade now using this “strategy”.
Bk – you omit the tiny factor of *stadium capacity*
Fenway doesnt hold much above 32k when the batters eye section of the bleachers is covered for logistical reasons on certain days. Otherwise, you pick up a couple thousand extra, including all the standing room. Something like 35k or 36k is a sellout at fenway.
Then let’s not also ignore the elephant in the room of local population available to *attend* said games.
I believe this was a big mistake, not bringing in Albert. What the Angels need to do imo is find something to do with Trout, and Albert would have been the one to do it. The Phillies moved Harper to first base, something Trout needs to do is he is truly a team player, and Albert would have been a great teacher! Then move Nolan S to left field, trade Ward for pitching or center field. Trout cannot play the outfield any more and Adel can only play right field. So sign the Japanese 3rd baseman, get some pitching and call it a day, Solar can DH if he must stay, (he has no trade value) is it a championship team no, but it would be a better team.
What kind of Elephant is that? You guys dont sell out either. Also, the competition for entertainment is mostly inversely correlated on a city basis to team attendance.
I was such a great player and now I am such a great manager I want $$$$. You have banked $350 million from the sport, how much more do you need? Besides, Albert, you have never managed before! Then screw you Arte!
Albert, you dodged a bullet! Nobody should want to manage under that utterly dysfunctional owner.
Nobody with options, anyway.
Being the manager or GM here is pretty good at getting some experience on your resume, though. That first gig is always the hardest to get.
If you fail here, everyone (correctly) blames Arte. But if you somehow have success you look like a genius.
Nobody with options, anyway.
=================
It reminds me of when Kim Ng supposedly turned down an interview with the RS.. These openings are few and far between. If you get a shot, you take it.
An interview isn’t really a shot, and I’d bet Ng and candidates of color can see a diversity satisfying interview a mile away.
I wouldnt call it purely a diversity move with no sincerity at actually considering hiring her.
Henry is very progressive, and, theres been female semior executives – Steward in the org since ’88 and a VP since 1990, and, Raquel became an AGM since what, around 2019? Nevermind the GM of the AAA club is a….wait for it…woman!
Henry is definitely not Yawkey and that’s a great thing.
Unfortunately, there’s still a notable contingent of people who believe any hire or interview outside of a white guy is simply due to the color or gender of the recipient. They can’t actually be qualified.
Albert knows how dysfunctional the angels are if he never played there I bet he would be the greatest player of all time
Says the dude who roots for the Cubs.
Albert just might be the only manager that was never hired to still be under contract for 7 more years.
Ohhhh, Arte.
I get it. Lol
$350 mill career earnings, already getting $1 mill per year to smile and shake hands, is he really that motivated to take on a burnout job like manager for a team like LAA?
Unlike his former teammate Anthony Rendon, Pujols probably actually loves the game of baseball and wants to give managing a shot.
Pujols forced the Angels to release him. I don’t really judge players, but abandoning a team is one of them.
I prefer Rendon. Rendon has had three major surgeries. Including both hips.
That’s some kind of next level coping with Rendon.
If you assume that if Pujols gets hired as manager and later rocks the boat with Arte/Perry, isn’t that better than the status quo for Angels fans? If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
Yankees, who is that directed to? It doesn’t make any sense if it’s directed towards me.
Halo11Fan, You prefer Rendon??? Even rendon’s family would pick pujols over Rendon… Can’t tell if you’re ignorant or trolling
I like Rendon better than Pujols.
1) I didn’t bring up Rendon.
2) One hip surgery typically ends a players career, Rendon is the only player this century to have 2 hip surgeries.
3) This was who I liked more, I like the guy who has had two major surgeries more than the guy who threw a fit when the Angels wanted to reduce his role and forced the Angels to release him.
4). It takes a lot for me to turn on a player, what Pujols did qualifies, what Rendon did doesn’t. In the 60+ years I’ve followed the Angels, I can list these players on one hand.
5) You are entitled to not share my opinion.
Fair enough.
well, in terms of turning on an Angels player, how about Alex Johnson? Problem child who was mostly before my time… Talented f**ker, tho…
Pujols wants to win, and Angels ownership will have none of that nonsense.
Albert was saved. Artie probably told Albert he could be manager as part of his personal services contract. No extra money.
Asked for another 10/240M contract.
Arte wanted to, but Perry said no.
That deescalated quickly.
Good. When the Angels asked him to be a part time firstbaseman, he threw such a fit the Angels were forced to release him.
For a player that was worthless the previous four years to react that way was unacceptable. So good.
At this point, it won’t matter who’s in the dugout. Halos fans will have to wait out for Father Time to catch up to Arte…
Astros fans exhale
11.40: Padres to interview Pujols. 11.48: Pujols no longer a candidate.
Padres and Pujols would be a great fit im so glad he’s not going to be buried in the cellar with the angels again
Darn it. (puts popcorn away)
I remember Boob Nightengale reporting the interview going well… Lol
Good for Puljos. He deserves better.
So do the Angels.
Well if you go there… everyone deserves better than Arte.
Hiring a former Angels player with little to no managing experience, seems to be the priority. “we’ll sell more tickets, and maybe , just maybe, he’ll make lemonade from the lemons we have on the roster.” I feel bad for Angels fans. At least you have Zack Neto!
That’s too bad. I’d imagine he’s a great manager. Probably could have won 10 championships for the Angels. Oh well, I guess the lowly Padres will have to take those 10 championships…
If the Orioles hire Pujols, it will doom the team until Gunnar et al leave , thus ensuring that the Oriole window shuts firmly, assuming it was ever open all the way in the first place
Say it ain’t so, Arte… Get Mike Scioscia on the phone!
After Perry fired Joe Maddon so unceremoniously? Probably not.
can’t wait till they announce trout as the new player/manager .. this way they can at least get some sort of production out of him when he’s on the injured list
My $ .02 call Yadier Molina best two way catcher in recent memory.
He is a winner, catchers make for good managers as they understand both the Pitching and the defense. He has coaching experience from the WBC and has connection to the Team from his Brothers who were WS Champions as Angels. Who can forget the flying Molina Brothers when they both crossed Home plate in acrobatic fashion which I watched in real time.
Albert can’t run to first
I’m guessing that Pujols was asked to absorb part of his professional services earnings as part of a managing agreement. He probably wanted a 5 year deal also, so that he can actually work towards building a culture of winning which is the minimum time needed I would guess. I dont see how either works for Pujols or the team. Who ever they hire will get 2 years and will promptly be let go after those 2 years, being held accountable for not making it to the play offs. That said, why take the job in the first place.
They will go with Hunter.
someone needs to create a gif of pujols dodging a bullet matrix-style
Arte probably figures he’s already paying Pujols a million per year to go to fan fests and card shows, might as well add managing to that. Apparently Albert disagrees
Good on Pujols.
Arte’s money can go somewhere else for once.
He won’t be coming to balt then either. They want some of the current staff as they were promoted so they don’t get poached last year. And likely wouldn’t pay more than LA
Let this be a warning, Baltimore. Thank him for coming, give him a complimentary cap and send him on his way.
Angels: Albert, we don’t need your services! Albert: What, not again?
Moreno hires former Astros catcher Luis Pujols as manager just to spite Albert. Moreno quips, “I wanted Pujols, and by God I got Pujols!!!”
It sounds like if someone gives Pujols that job, he’ll want to effectively take over that team entirely and he’s being treated like an employee in a specific position and as others said, a promotional tool, a shiny object, a curio, stunt casting, etc. and he wants to be Jeter for Miami or Posey for the Giants.
As an Angels player, AP always seemed like a prima donna who was in it for himself, period. If he gets a manager position anywhere, I think it will play out like Ted WIlliams……some initial success, but a long term train wreck.
But it would have been fun seeing how a hyper-controlling owner like Moreno would have worked out with a manager with AP’s personality. I feel cheated that it didn’t go that way.
Arte drew the line at installing a throne in the dugout.
Cheer up, Albert. There may soon be a job opening at the University of Tennessee.
They probably were going to reduce his salary for sure.
He’s made $346 million minimum in his career so money can’t possibly be an issue for him
Angels Ticket Sale: Now Featuring Free Regret with Every Purchase
Arte Moreno just launched another ticket sale because nothing says “we’re serious about winning” like slashing prices on mediocrity. Maybe he should skip the promo codes and just donate the seats to local therapy groups. Lord knows watching this team qualifies as emotional trauma.
To sweeten the deal, they’ve cut beer prices. Because nothing pairs better with bullpen meltdowns and managerial gaslighting than a lukewarm $8 distraction. Sip slowly it’s the only thing that ages well in this stadium.
Oh and rumor has it the Pillow Guy will be throwing out the first pitch. Not because he’s a fan, but because Arte heard he was good at stuffing things. Like rosters. And expectations.Plus, for the first 20,000 fans through the gate, he’s giving away his actual pillow.Because nothing says “rest easy” like watching a team that’s been asleep since 2015.
Jon Heyman is a hack.
While Pujols still has an active “personal services” contract with the Angels, he also wanted to negotiate a “professional services” contract, and that is where Minasian drew the line.
Not too sure if Arte is this smart but over hyping Albert may have teased his ego so much that AP might have waived his personal services contract in lieu of manager pay … it wouldn’t surprise me at all if working in any MLB position for any team other than the Angels voids the personal services contract … did Arte (accidentally?) put Albert’s ego in a fight with itself?
Arte sucks
“Meanwhile” has to START the sentence, not come in the middle between commas.