Albert Pujols has 2 new jobs, and he’s great at both

Cardinals legend Albert Pujols picked up two new jobs this week, one as a special assistant to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and the other on MLB Network.

Albert Pujols may be retired from baseball after rounding out his Cardinals legacy, but he’s finding a bunch of ways to stay busy.

On Monday, MLB announced that Pujols is joining the league office as a Special Assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred.

He’s also taking on an analyst role with MLB Network with his debut coming on Tuesday morning on MLB Central. He’ll also feature on MLB tonight on Wednesday and MLB Network’s coverage of the London Series on June 23 as the Cardinals face the Cubs.

Albert Pujols is going to thrive in new role with MLB

This is all great news for baseball and for MLB Network. Pujols appeared on Peacock’s coverage of Sunday’s game between the Cardinals and the Pirates, looking and sounding like a natural in the booth.

As for his role with the commissioner, he would seem like natural fit there was well given his long service in MLB and his understanding of life as an international player.

“Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well,” Manfred said in a statement. “He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities. We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts.”

Here’s what Pujols had to say about his new role:

"“I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my career. Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I’ve been a huge fan since the very beginning and can’t wait to get started.”"

Pujols was already technically employed by the Angels as part of his 10-year “personal-services contract” which pays him $1 million to apparently play a mentorship role for the team. The Los Angeles Times confirmed he will retain that role.

So get used to more Pujols on your TV screen this year.