If there’s one team that loves its legends, it’s the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. Jim Edmonds, an outfielder who played eight seasons with the Redbirds, is now their TV broadcast co-commentator. Yadier Molina, a legendary catcher and (hopefully) future Hall of Famer, is special advisor to John Mozeliak and a player that Cardinals fans have wanted to manage their team since he hung up his spikes.
That love of legends can even be backed up by the recent roster moves made by this Cardinals organization. They brought back Matt Carpenter on a one-year deal this past offseason despite a brutal 2023 season. They brought back Lance Lynn on a one-year deal in 2023 despite some struggles of his own. They even brought Albert Pujols back for one last dance in 2023.
Pujols is now retired but still active in the baseball world. He just accepted a job as manager in the Dominican Winter League for Leones del Escogido. It’s not a major league job, but it’s something Mozeliak should focus on, especially after seeing what Pujols had to say about the position.
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Pujols is excited to manage the team he shot for as a kid in the Dominican Winter League, but his ultimate goal seems to be to manage at the MLB level in the future. This is a step for him to prove he’s suited for the job.
Pujols is obviously a legend not only with the Cardinals but in the MLB. He knows the game and was great at it, but that doesn’t mean he has what it takes to be an MLB manager. By taking this job, he wants to prove that he deserves a chance at the major leagues one day.
If Pujols proves he’s suited for the role, why wouldn’t the Cardinals be interested? Oli Marmol has been far from a decisive player, and if this season continues to go in the wrong direction, there’s reason to believe he’ll be gone in the offseason.
I’m not saying the Cardinals need to hire Pujols at all this offseason. What they do need to do is keep an eye on what he’s doing. Chances are, this winter league stint won’t be all Pujols does as a manager. Maybe one day we’ll see both Pujols and Molina competing for a managerial vacancy with the Cardinals. Wouldn’t that be something?
