Updated November 4, 2026, 7:59 p.m. ET
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols will interview this week for the vacant Houston Astros managerial position, a person with direct knowledge told USA TODAY Sports.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Astros have not publicly identified their management candidates, who also include New York Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus.
Pujols, who interviewed last year for manager vacancies with the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres, has expressed his strong desire to manage since retiring after the 2022 season. He led the Dominican Republic to third place in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and led Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League to the 2025 Caribbean Series championship.
“For me, I’ve always been serious about everything I do in this game,” Pujols told USA TODAY Sports in 2025, “and now I’m serious about management. This game has done so much for me, and now I want to give back. I’m ready.”
If Pujols gets the job, it would reunite him with new Astros general manager Randy Flores, his former teammate on the St. Louis Cardinals when they won the 2006 World Series together. Pujols, who will become eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028, would be the first 700-homer hitter to hit in the major leagues.
Flores would not confirm or deny that Pujols would be interviewed, but said Monday during his introductory news conference that he hoped to have an immediate solution to fill his manager position.
“I think there are rules about tampering that don’t allow me to speak directly about employees of other organizations,” Flores said Monday. “I will say that I will rely on my network, my experience and my expertise to help this club move forward.”
Technically, Pujols is still employed by the Angels. He was four years into a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract that was part of his 10-year, $240 million contract as a player.
“He’s ready,” Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, who managed Pujols for 11 years in St. Louis, 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 so much to offer and has so much love for the game, the game benefits when he’s willing to stay active and share.”
The Astros and Angels are the only two teams that currently have a managerial vacancy, with the Seattle Mariners hiring Jason Kanzler on Monday, despite having no management experience at any level.
“I would love the opportunity to give back to baseball,” Pujols said. “I know I don’t have experience as a manager, but 23 years in this game, you go through a lot. I’m talking about the baseball experience, being on the field and in the locker room. It’s not about coming out of college and trying to be a manager without having any baseball experience. The old school mentality can help the young mentality.
“I have learned from some of the best managers in the game. I believe with my experience and the way I can communicate with players, I can be successful.”
Before joining the American League West in 2013, the Astros were NL Central rivals with Pujols’ Cardinals. The teams met in the NL Championship Series in 2004 and 2005, with Pujols winning the MVP in 2004 after hitting .500 (14-for-28) with 4 HR and 9 RBIs in the seven-game series. The Cardinals lost in six games in 2005, but Pujols hit a legendary game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Game 5 that delayed Houston’s first trip to the World Series.
Pujols’ 1,265 career at-bats against the Astros are his most against any team in the regular season.
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