After missing the postseason for the third straight year in 2025, the St. Louis Cardinals have a lengthy to-do list this offseason as they rebuild.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Major League Baseball, two franchise legends want to try their hand at managing. Yadier Molina has expressed interest in joining the coaching staff in 2026, while fellow future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols was recently in the running for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres managerial openings.

However, late on Sunday, the Orioles hired Cleveland Guardians associate manager Craig Alberanz as their new manager, which takes Pujols out of the running for the Baltimore job. This could ultimately give him the inside track on landing the Padres job.

What’s Next For Cardinals Legend Albert Pujols?

Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) is congratulated in the dugout following his single in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Pujols played 12 of his 22 seasons with the Cardinals. After retiring in 2022, he rejoined the Los Angeles Angels on a personal services contract. He was originally the leading candidate to take the Angels opening, but the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement.

Now that the Orioles have hired their next manager, Pujols is out of the running for that gig. That would seemingly put him in a good position to potentially land the job in San Diego to replace former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt.

Pujols has no managerial experience beyond the Dominican winter league. Last year, he led the Leones del Escogido to a championship, and he is currently lined up to manage the Dominican national team in next year’s World Baseball Classic.

The Padres likely have other candidates in the running, but Pujols may now be the favorite. If he were to land the job, he would be stepping into a completely new organization, but he would have the respect of the Padres clubhouse almost instantly due to his accolades as a player.

He gained valuable experience last winter and could be a solid choice for the Padres. If he doesn’t land the job in San Diego, perhaps the Cardinals could look to bring him back as an assistant coach under manager Oli Marmol.

It will be interesting to see what the next steps are for the Cardinals legend and future Hall-of-Famer. Pujols would certainly be an interesting pick to manage if he lands a job somewhere, and he could ultimately land a job relatively soon, either with the Padres or potentially elsewhere.