The New York Mets named Andy Green interim manager in June after firing Carlos Mendoza. As a result, once the season ends, David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, will need to begin the search for a new manager.
Among the names in the speculation mill is former major leaguer Albert Pujols. Since retiring, Pujols has begun tipping his toes into managing as the manager of the Dominican team Leones del Escogido, which won the Serie Final of the 2024–25 season and the 2025 Caribbean Series.
Pujols also managed the Dominican Republic team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which won a bronze medal. As a result, could Pujols be ready for a managerial gig at the major league level?
While Pujols is an interesting name, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes said she’s not hearing anything right now that would lead her to believe the former first baseman has an inside track to becoming the next Mets manager.
“I’d be surprised if they decided not to interview [Pujols] and then you never know what changes in those conversations,” Janes said in a Sept. 10 video on SNY’s YouTube channel. “But as of right now, he’s not a name that I’ve heard when I hear people who know what they’re talking about around the Mets.”
Albert Pujols Might Not Fit What Mets Want in Manager
Moreover, Janes explains why the Mets might not be keen on hiring someone like Pujols, who could want to run the team his own way, potentially conflicting with what Stearns wants.
“[Pujols has] obviously got a ton of credibility, but the thing that is tricky there, and I think is also tricky with people like Carlos Beltrán with [Alex] Cora, is he’s a big personality,” Janes added. “It’s not necessarily someone who’s going to come in and say, ‘I’ll fit into your system,’ and that’s an assumption. I don’t know that for sure.
“It didn’t work after extensive interviews with the Padres. I think in part from what we’ve heard because he wasn’t going to have enough control and if I’m a former player, a Hall of Fame-caliber player, I want to do things my way.”
New York Might Not Want to Give Next Manager Too Much Power
Janes also notes that the Mets could be looking for a manager who shares their vision and thus allows input from the team’s front office. The insider also says Pujols appears to be a manager who wants to do things his way, which would clash with New York’s management.
“I don’t necessarily know that the Mets in particular are willing to fully hand over the reins to someone in the way he might want,” Janes said. “Maybe that’s not an accurate assessment. But from what I’ve kind of pieced together, it could be a tough fit for that reason. But you never know if they’re doing a managerial search.”
It will be interesting to see what direction the Mets take and whether Pujols is a fit. Nonetheless, they need to find a manager who can help them get back to the postseason after missing the last two seasons, despite the money the team has invested.
MLB Insider Gives Blunt Albert Pujols Update Amid Mets Manager Speculation