Former Angels All-Star Gets His First Managing Gig

Manager Albert Pujols has a nice ring to it.

Albert Pujols will be back in uniform this year, but not as an active player.

The Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League (also known as LIDOM) announced Thursday in a press release that they have named Pujols their manager for 2024-25.

¡OFICIAL! 🤩 ¡ALBERT PUJOLS será el nuevo dirigente de nuestro equipo!🦁🔥 Detalles en https://t.co/jYZYUCZ8R4.👨‍💻 pic.twitter.com/ACaYTHdL4I

— 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐝𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 (@EscogidoBBClub) February 22, 2024

Pujols suited up for LIDOM during the 2021-22 season for 16 games before he returned to the St. Louis Cardinals to finish his playing career. 

This will be his first managerial job.

The Leones’ general manager is Luis Rojas, the current third base coach for the New York Yankees.

“We’re more than thrilled that he’s taking the reigns of the Leones,” said Rojas, who himself led the Escogido club to a LIDOM championship as manager in 2015-16 – when the team’s GM was his brother, Moisés Alou – while also following in the footsteps of his father Felipe Alou, who captured four titles at the helm of the Leones in the 1980s and 90s. “His stature represents this organization well and his presence will have a great impact on our players and fanbase.

“He’s excited to start his managerial career with Escogido and we hope he’ll lead us to the championship.”

Luis Rojas via MLB.com

During his 22-year career with the Angels, Cardinals, and Dodgers. Pujols became one of four players to join the 700-home run club (703) with 2,218 RBIs and a career .918 OPS. He’s fourth on the all-time home run list, as well as second in RBIs, fifth in doubles (686) and ninth in hits (3,384).

Pujols is currently a special assistant in the Angels organization and will be eligible for the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2028.