Albert Pujols was a St. Louis Cardinals icon, having won three NL MVPs and two World Series before 2011. Yet, it was in that very winter that the trajectory of Pujols career changed entirely. Faced with the prospect of losing their 31-year-old slugger, the Cards balked, instead allowing Pujols to slip through their grasp in favor of a much more lucrative offer from the Los Angeles Angels.
At the end of the day, the Cardinals made the right call. Pujols wasn't the same player in Anaheim, making just one AL All-Star team. He failed to reach the World Series and made the playoffs just once with the Angels, despite teaming up with Mike Trout. Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Angels, which at the time was beyond what St. Louis was willing to pay. Much of what bothered the Cardinals at the time wasn't necessarily the AAV, but the number of years Pujols was signed to at that number.
The Angels offer exceeded that of the Cardinals by an estimated $40 million total. It also included perks, like a hotel suite on road trips, a luxury suite at the ballpark for the Pujols Foundation (his charitable group) and the right to buy a luxury suite between first base and third base for all home games.
Why is any of this relevant 15 years later? Well, Pujols has a chance to leave the Cardinals hanging once again, albeit through no fault of his own.
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Albert Pujols is a candidate for the Angels managerial job
Per Bob Nightengale, Pujols is one of several candidates being considered to replace Ron Washington in Anaheim. Pujols led Leones del Escogido to the LIDOM title just last season, which received attention around MLB. As a result, Pujols is expected to manage the Domincan Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
These opportunities recognize Pujols' natural talent as a leader, and that his likely next role will be as an MLB manager. The Angels – which maintain a strong connection to Pujols, who has honored his original 10-year contract as a special assistant – make the most sense as a suitor.
"I feel that I can offer so much to players and to teams," Pujols said about his managerial prospects this winter. "And it's about growing and helping. It's not about me. It's about helping others, and having that passion. I have that love and that passion for the game. This was my job, this was my life. For me, that's why I want to do it. If the opportunity comes, why not?"
Pujols joining the Angels would be understandable, but bittersweet for Cardinals fans, who one day hoped to see the Hall of Famer in their dugout. However, new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is committed to Oli Marmol beyond this offseason.
Will the Cardinals regret not hiring Albert Pujols when they had the chance?
The Cardinals have faith in Marmol, who is one of the youngest managers in baseball at just 39 years old. He can identify with a young team, which is the direction the Cards are headed if Bloom's offseason dreams turn into fruition. It's tough to judge Marmol based on the 2025 Cardinals – the front office failed to give him resources to succeed, and in many ways the franchise has been stuck in the middle for years.
It's far too early to tell if Pujols will succeed, either. He certainly has the pedigree, but the list of Hall-of-Fame caliber players who succeed as managers isn't all that long. The test for Pujols will be to not hold his players to the same standard he held himself as an 11-time All-Star.
When Pujols left St. Louis the first time around, Cardinals fans were devastated. At the time, it was a bit more common for players to remain with one team their entire careers, especially when you're as productive as Pujols was.
Times have changed, and Pujols will always be beloved when he returns to Busch Stadium. A role within the Cardinals organization may one day again be on the table, but for now, it doesn't look like the timelines match up.