Astros interview Albert Pujols for manager, sparking fan fury

Could Astros hire Albert Pujols?

Houston is interviewing the future Hall of Famer for its managerial vacancy this week.

A person with direct knowledge confirmed the news to USA TODAY Sports.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the Astros have not publicly named their candidates.

Pujols, 46, retired after the 2022 season with 703 home runs and 2,218 RBIs.

He is an 11-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion.

This is not his first shot at managing.

He interviewed for the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres openings last offseason.

Neither job went to him.

Now the Astros are giving him a look.

The team needs a new manager after parting ways with Joe Espada.

Houston went 81-81 in 2026 and won the AL West but got swept by the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card Series.

Espada’s contract was not renewed.

The Astros also just hired a new general manager.

Randy Flores, a former St. Louis Cardinals executive, took over the front office days ago.

Flores played alongside Pujols in St. Louis.

They were teammates on the 2006 World Series champion Cardinals.

That connection is not lost on anyone watching this process.

Flores would not confirm or deny the Pujols interview during his introductory press conference Monday.

“I think there are rules on tampering that don’t permit me to talk directly about employees from other organizations,” Flores said.

“I will say that I will lean on network, experience and expertise to help this club move forward.”

Pujols is still technically employed by the Angels.

He is four years into a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract.

That deal was part of the $240 million, 10-year contract he signed as a player in 2012.

He has been working as a special assistant for the Angels since 2023.

But he has made no secret of his desire to manage.

“For me, I’ve always been serious about everything that I do in this game,” Pujols told USA TODAY Sports in 2025.

“And now I’m serious about managing. This game has done so much for me, and now, I want to give back. I’m ready.”

He has already managed at the international level.

Pujols led the Dominican Republic to a third-place finish in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

He also managed Leones del Escogido to the 2025 Caribbean Series championship.

Those results have bolstered his case.

But he has never managed in the major leagues.

That experience gap is the central question for Houston.

Pujols acknowledges it directly.

“I know I don’t have the experience as a manager, but 23 years in this game, you go through a lot,” he said.

“I’m talking about experience from baseball, being on the field and in the locker room. It’s not going from a university to try to be a manager and not having any baseball experience. Old-school mentality can help young mentality.”

He also pointed to what he learned from others.

“I’ve learned from some of the best managers in the game,” Pujols said.

“I believe with my experience, and the way I can communicate with players, I can have success.”

Tony La Russa, who managed Pujols for 11 years in St. Louis, has publicly endorsed him.

“He’s ready,” La Russa said last year.

“And he’s going to be great. You talk about integrity. You talk about his IQ. You talk about his discipline. I call him APP, Albert Perfect Pujols. When a guy has that much to offer, and has so much love for the game, the game benefits when he wants to stay active and share.”

If Pujols lands the job, he would be the first 700-homer hitter to manage in MLB history.

He becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.

But his history with the Astros is complicated.

Before Houston moved to the American League West in 2013, the teams were NL Central rivals.

They met in the NL Championship Series in 2004 and 2005.

Pujols won NLCS MVP in 2004 after batting .500 with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs in the seven-game series.

The Cardinals lost the 2005 NLCS in six games.

But Pujols hit a legendary home run in that series.

With two outs in the ninth inning of Game 5, he crushed a three-run shot off Brad Lidge to give St. Louis a 5-4 win.

It is widely considered one of the most famous home runs in the history of the Astros’ ballpark.

Houston won Game 6 and advanced to its first World Series.