Cardinals' legend starts managerial career in walk-off fashion with first career win

The St. Louis Cardinals have been out of action for the last few weeks, but their former first baseman and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols is in the dugout and starting what should be a successful next chapter in his career - managing.

Pujols took a job as the Leones del Escogido manager in the Dominican Winter League, and he led the club to a 3-2 walk-off victory on Wednesday over the Tigres del Licey.

Pujols has made it clear that he would like to manage at the big league level one day, and he is getting his feet wet this winter by managing the team he grew up loving while living in the Dominican Republic. My friend Bernie Miklasz has shared a few different times on his YouTube channel as well as the podcast I am a part of (Dealin' the Cards) that Pujols has told the Cardinals he would like to work for them someday, and I am now also convinced that one day he will become the club's manager.

Miklasz had a great video this week talking through the reasons why Pujols would be an excellent manager for St. Louis, and I frankly could not agree more. Pujols is a student of the game, an incredible leader, and would be a slam dunk higher for the Cardinals both on and off the field. Even as someone who likes Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol, I don't think the Cardinals can pass on the opportunity to bring in Pujols.

Personally, I am hoping for (and think it is possible) that we see Pujols added to Marmol's staff this offseason and that one day he will step into the managerial role. We heard Marmol share at Winter Warm-Up before the 2024 season that he wanted Yadier Molina in the dugout with him this year and that he was not afraid of Molina's presence, so I would assume the same is true of Pujols.

For now, Pujols is paying his dues in the Winter League, but I doubt it is long before he is able to secure a managerial role at the Major League level, and I cannot see the Cardinals allowing that to be with any other team (especially when he has been knocking on their door). Pujols is far too humble to force his way into that role for St. Louis, but they'd be fools not to add him to the organization as soon as possible and elevate him to manager as soon as 2026.