Angels could play villain role again to keep Albert Pujols away from Cardinals dugout

As the St. Louis Cardinals enter a retooling of sorts, they may already have their Oli Marmol replacement lined up. Marmol is safe for this season, which makes sense – what's the point of hiring a new manager prior to a rebuild? However, as the Cards enter their next phase post-John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom will want his own manager at the helm. Why not bring back a future Hall of Famer and Cardinals fan favorite like Albert Pujols?

For those unaware, Pujols led Leones del Escogido to their first Dominican League title last week. Pujols received plenty of praise from current and former big-league players alike, like Martin Maldonado.

“He understands how hard the game is,” Maldonado said, per The Athletic. “He knows that everyone is not like him.”

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Could the St. Louis Cardinals hire Albert Pujols as their next manager?

Pujols former Cardinals teammate, outfielder Tommy Pham, reciprocated that thought as well.

“He’s gonna be a great players’ manager. He understands the grind players go through,” Pham said. “When I joined the team, we were in a bad stretch of losses. We couldn’t catch a break. He kept telling us the process is right, you guys are playing the game the right way, just let us get in the (playoff) round robin because we have the best team. Sure enough he was right.”

There is only one obstacle to Pujols joining St. Louis – minus Marmol succeeding, which would be a welcome surprise – is his current contract with the Angels. When he retired from MLB, Pujols signed a 10-year personal services contract with the Angels, meaning he is tied to the organization and will likely act as a special instructor in spring training. However, one would hope that if Pujols received a managerial opportunity the Angels would let him out of that arrangement. By no means would Arte Moreno have to act upon that impulse, though.

“Obviously, he’s going to keep learning more if he chooses to do this again next year, or if he has a role with a big-league staff,” Escogido general manager Luis Rojas said. “But I don’t know that he’ll ever take a (coaching) role before a manager’s job...You can definitely see him handling it."

One thing Pujols does well in winter ball is managing personalities. LIDOM is a mix of talent from various leagues, including MLB, all on the same rosters. It's not MLB, but don't be surprised if Pujols earns himself an opportunity in the years to come, whether that be St. Louis or elsewhere.