Considering he’s never coached or managed at the major league level, Albert Pujols has found himself in a surprising role this offseason: hottest free agent manager in baseball.
The Angels gave Pujols the first chance to interview for their managerial vacancy this month, before more recently ending talks. Pujols was linked to the Baltimore Orioles’ job even before he was contacted by the Padres as a potential replacement for Mike Shildt.
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Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Monday that the Padres plan to interview Pujols for their managerial vacancy in the wake of Shildt’s sudden retirement. According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, that interview will take place Wednesday.
Pujols has a number of questions to answer to establish his qualifications as a big league manager. (Ostensibly that’s what the interview process is all about.) Among them: how would the players receive him as their clubhouse leader?
Former Padres Gold Glove-winning outfielder Mike Cameron shared some pointed thoughts about this topic on Friar Territory.
“The players will say if you’re hiring someone of Albert’s status it means that you’re trying to glorify this spot, this particular guy, and they don’t need that right now,” Cameron told Kyle Glaser. “They just need a leader who can corral everyone … so the players can just go out and play and not talk about their manager every single day.
“I think that is, by far, not a good situation to put this team in at this particular time.”
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Pujols hit 703 home runs from 2001-22 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. If hired, he would become arguably the best player ever to take a manager’s job — at least the best since Frank Robinson’s final day in the Washington Nationals’ dugout.
While Glaser and Cameron argued that Pujols might serve as a valuable inspiration to a younger clubhouse, the Padres have plenty of lead-by-example stars already. They advocated for a manager with prior experience in the role.
Plenty of potential candidates fit that bill, including former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and Padres special advisor Scott Servais. Brandon Hyde and Rocco Baldelli are also available; each has overseen a 100-win season in the last decade and was fired earlier this year (Hyde by the Baltimore Orioles, Baldelli by the Minnesota Twins).
Pujols represents a break with the Padres’ recent managerial tradition on a couple levels. Shildt and Bob Melvin both had prior experience managing in MLB. Jayce Tingler and Andy Green did not, but neither found fame during their playing career.
Against this backdrop, it’s somewhat surprising that Pujols is being interviewed for the job. It would be even more of a surprise if he gets it.
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