Albert Pujols has confirmed that he is interested in managing the New York Mets.
Pujols was seen reacting to the vacancy of the managerial job with the Mets on MLB Network Friday afternoon and casually said why he would be interested in the job.
“You have an owner that want’s to win, wants to spend, that’s always huge,” Pujols said on MLB Network. “You have the talent on the field, although this year, it hasn’t been great for them because of the injuries. When they built this ballclub through the offseason and through spring training, they would never have thought they were going to have so many injuries like this.”
The vacancy of the Mets manager position became official on Friday morning when they fired Carlos Mendoza, and announced Andy Green will serve as the interim manager for the rest of the season.
Mendoza’s departure comes as the Mets are 13 games below .500 with a 34-47 record and are 15 games out of first in the National League East.
On paper, the Mets have one of the best rosters in baseball, as they have a lineup that features Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Bo Bichette. But injuries have plagued the team this year, as Soto, Luis Robert Jr., and Marcus Semien are currently on the team’s injured list.
With all the injury struggles the team is having, the early indications are that the team will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
With the decision to move on from Mendoza and sitting dead last in the division, New York will likely get a head start on the offseason and be sellers at this year’s MLB Trade Deadline.
Having an opportunity to get a head start, it brings up the question: Is Pujols the right fit to lead the Mets?
The Dominican Republic finished in third place, after losing 2-1 to the USA in the semifinals of the WBC. Which brings the question: Is Pujols the right fit to lead the Mets?
“No matter where it is, I’m gonna bring in my experience, learning from great managers in the past, and try to do the best that I can to try and build a great relationship with the players,” Pujols said. “Because at the end of the day, I believe that communication is huge, with your players, with your superstars.”
When Pujols managed the Dominican Republic during the WBC, he was impressive.
The Dominican Republic had Soto on the team, and they finished in third place, losing 2-1 to the USA in the semifinals.
“I remember when I took the WBC job, people were asking, ‘How are you going to handle so many superstars?’ By talking to them. Expecting them to do their best.” Pujols said. “I don’t have too many rules, just show up, play hard, respect me and my coaching staff, and that’s what they did.”