One of the game’s biggest names is among the candidates the Padres will interview for their vacant manager position.
The team will meet with future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols on Wednesday, sources said, as they seek to replace Mike Shildt, who announced his retirement last week.
Pujols, who retired as a player in 2022 after 22 seasons playing for the Cardinals, Angels and Dodgers, is also expected to interview with the Orioles. Pujols interviewed with the Angels earlier this month but is no longer a candidate for that job, according to multiple reports.
The Padres are also expected to interview pitching coach Ruben Niebla. The team has reportedly shown interest in Nick Hundley, who played catcher for them from 2008 to ’14 at the start of a 12-year MLB career.
Pujols is said to have expressed interest in the Padres job from the time Shildt’s retirement became known, and the Padres reached out to him late last week.
The 11-time All-Star, whose 703 career home runs are fourth most in history, has never managed in the major leagues. He managed Leones de Escogido to the Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series titles earlier this year. Pujols is scheduled to be the manager for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in March, though that would change if he is hired by a major league team.
While Pujols is short on managerial experience, his resume as a player and the respect current players have for him is part of what has drawn the Padres and other teams to vet him as a potential manager. Some in the organization have voiced the opinion that the Padres need to have more of a collective killer instinct and that getting more consistency out of some star players could help achieve that.
Pujols is a special assistant in the Angels organization, a role that involves him working with prospects in the Dominican Republic and with Angels players at spring training. He was at one point considered the favorite to get the Angels’ manager job, but the sides reportedly differed on salary terms and how much of his coaching staff he would be able to pick.
He likely would have to retain some staff if he became Padres manager, but several coaches will see their contracts expire after the World Series. Niebla has two years left on his contract and is highly valued by Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. Hitting coach Victor Rodriguez has one year remaining on his contract.
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