Overview
- Multiple outlets report Albert Pujols is scheduled to be interviewed by the Houston Astros on Thursday as part of their active managerial search, though the club has not publicly confirmed candidates or a hire.
- Pujols has no Major League managerial record but led Leones del Escogido to the 2024–25 Dominican winter league title and guided the Dominican Republic to a 2026 World Baseball Classic semifinal.
- New Astros general manager Randy Flores, who was Pujols's Cardinals teammate, is leading an expedited search that Flores said needs an immediate resolution.
- Reported alternatives under consideration include Brad Ausmus, Morgan Ensberg and Luis Urueta, and the team has said it has interviewed multiple candidates but given no timeline for a final decision.
- The report has generated visible fan backlash in Houston because of Pujols’s history as a Cardinals nemesis and his lack of MLB managing experience, and Pujols remains under a long-term personal-services contract with the Angels that teams must navigate under tampering rules.