Angels ending contract talks with Albert Pujols feels like an Arte Moreno failure

When it was reported that the Los Angeles Angels were conducting a more thorough search for the team's next manager, everybody said that Albert Pujols remained the favorite to win the job. Pujols, who is a titan of the sport, had some ideas for who he wanted to add to his coaching staff, and would have been a draw for any interested free agents/potential trade targets. Angels fans thought that this deal to make Pujols the Angels manager was going to happen weeks ago, since he was Arte Moreno's number one choice for the job, but due to unforeseen circumstances he is no longer in the running for the role.

Angels ending contract talks with Albert Pujols feels like an Arte Moreno failure

Jon Heyman of The New York Post and Sam Blum of The Athletic both confirmed that Pujols and the Angels/Moreno ended talks for the future Hall of Famer to step up as the manager. Pujols is already under contract due to a personal services clause that was included in his original 10-year, $240 million deal before the 2012 season -- Moreno is paying Pujols $1 million a year to assist the organization's prospects in their development. By all accounts, Moreno did not want to give Pujols much more than he was already paying him, despite what would have been a major bump in his team responsibilities.

Angels fans would have been overjoyed should Pujols have won the job. The narrative of Pujols turning the tides of this woeful organization, coming off of his less than optimal playing career in Anaheim, was tantalizing. Pujols' credentials as a manager in the Dominican Winter League and in the World Baseball Classic as the DR's skipper, not to mention his history with Tony La Russa in St. Louis, were more than enough to qualify him for the job. Moreno taking a hard stance on his salary, despite the Angels being a big market team, is yet another masterclass in negligent ownership.

Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki are now the favorites to land the role, although they will run into a similar snag that Pujols encountered given that they are both special assistant to the general manager. They are not under contract at a similar deal as Pujols is right now, but it's definitely worth noting. Nick Hundley, Ryan Flaherty, Brandon Hyde, and possibly Rocco Baldelli, Ramón Vázquez...and Bo Porter (??) are other possibilities for the Halos.

Another thing to monitor moving forward is whether the Angels can or will release Pujols from his personal services clause should the Baltimore Orioles or San Diego Padres want to hire him as a manager. Pujols still has seven years left on his deal. In sports, there is typically an unwritten rule that organizations allow people to accept outside jobs if they receive a promotion and are still technically under contract. With the Angels and Arte Moreno, however, you never know. If Pujols moves on to Baltimore or San Diego and immediately turns their fortunes around, Moreno will have more egg on his face than ever before.