Do not rule out former Angels albatross as the franchise's next big league manager

The Angels are no strangers to axing their managers without a clear successor in mind, but they could already have their next skipper in-house if they decide a change is needed in that regard. Ron Washington is on the last year of his contract and emerging from a season in which the team he managed lost 99 games. Meanwhile, Albert Pujols has a personal services contract that already has him familiar with the players, coaches, front office, ownership, etc. in the Angels organization, plus he is cementing himself as one of the hottest coaching candidates in the league heading into 2026. While nobody is blaming Washington entirely for the team's performance last year, would anybody put it above Arte Moreno to fire yet another manager if/when the team underperforms again this season? At least this time there is a built-in replacement.

About a year ago, MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger reported Pujols' response to being asked if he wants to be a big league manager one day: “Why not? If the opportunity is right one day, I think I’ll be ready for that.” Knowing Moreno, one day could be sooner rather than later.

Pujols is racking up managerial credentials quickly, while also gaining familiarity with both the Angels' players and their organizational practices/methods/philosophy (hopefully Pujols brings in his own methodology, as no one is quite sure what the direction of this team is supposed to be).

In addition to winning both a Dominican League and Caribbean Series title in his first year as the manager of the Leones del Escogido, Pujols will manage the Dominican Republic during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. They normally fare pretty well in that tournament, so Pujols should receive yet another boost in his credentials there. Pujols' playing career ended after his 2022 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, and since then has been working predominantly with the Angels' Dominican Summer League squad as well as advising the team in-person during spring training and instructional league.

Hey, if Pujols is going to manage anywhere why not just let him manage the big league team of his current employer? It also appears that the Angels could theoretically block Pujols from leaving to manage elsewhere, as it would break his contract. Normally in sports, an organization would not deny anybody a massive step up like that...but with Arte Moreno anything is possible!

Furthermore, adding Pujols as a manager could potentially help the Angels land big-name free agents. Who wouldn't want to go play for Albert Pujols? He is an iconic player, a giant amongst men in the baseball world. It's rare you see a player of his stature -- a likely unanimous Hall of Fame player -- manage baseball teams. Prestigious MLB players usually find places in sports ownership groups, where they work cushier jobs for more money (see: Derek Jeter and Álex Rodríguez). Soft!

Every single member of the Angels front office and coaching staff is on the hot seat this season. Washington could easily be scapegoated when this cobbled together team fails to meet the owner's lofty expectations. It's rare that the Angels have so much coaching continuity, so it sure seems like heads will roll after the season.

Mike Scioscia's 19th and final season as the Angels' manager was in 2018. Here's the list of Angels skippers since then: Brad Ausmus was a one-and-done in 2019, Joe Maddon for 2020, 2021, and in 2022 he was fired mid-season while sporting a mohawk, Phil Nevin finished out 2022 as the interim manager and then the interim tag was removed for 2023, and then Washington for 2024 and 2025.

Again, Washington should take very little blame for the franchise's worst season ever in 2024. However, he did oversee that unit and coaches have been fired for less, especially if they were employed by the Angels. The 72-year-old can certainly flummox the Angels community with his puzzling quotes and seeming lack of ownership over poor decisions. There's cause to move on from Washington.

Pujols was once a notorious presence for Angels fans -- his contract is often referred to as one of the worst in franchise history. Now, that 10-year contract from 2012 could actually yield positive results for the Angels in the mid-2020s if he is as great of a manager as he appears to be. Can you imagine the saga of the Angels handing Pujols that albatross contract which included this personal services clause, leading to him managing the big league club, and Pujols leading the Angels to the playoffs one day?? One can dream.

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