Albert Pujols is deep in the running to be the next manager of the Padres, and on Tuesday he spent a ridiculous among of time with the team.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee, Pujols missed being part of MLB Network's pregame coverage for Game 3 of the World Series because he was in San Diego for his second interview with the team. USA Today's Bob Nightengale further reports that Pujols's in-person meeting with the Padres lasted more than nine hours.
First off, can you imagine sitting at a job interview for nine hours? That sounds miserable. But it's a clear sign San Diego is interested in the future Hall of Famer. In fact, it looks like he's a finalist for the job.
Acee reported that current Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla is a finalist, along with former San Diego catcher Nick Hundley.
Pujols has no experience as an MLB manager, but did manage the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League. He led them to the 2024–25 LIDOM championship and the Caribbean Series title. He is also slated to manage the Dominican Republic's team during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The 45-year-old Pujols is a future Hall of Famer who was named National League MVP three times, made 11 All-Star teams, and won two World Series titles with the Cardinals. He would command instant respect in any clubhouse he walked into. His lack of experience is the one thing working against him.
The Padres' 2025 season ended in disappointment with a 2–1 loss to the Cubs in the wild-card round. Manager Mike Shildt retired after the season despite authoring back-to-back 90-win seasons and playoff berths.
Given San Diego's roster and payroll commitments, making the postseason is no longer the goal for the franchise. Whoever their next manager is will high much higher expectations placed on him.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Albert Pujols Had an Absurdly Long Second Meeting With the Padres.