The Los Angeles Angels have competition for their reported top managerial target, Albert Pujols. As reported by Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan of ESPN on Wednesday, the Baltimore Orioles have also expressed interest in bringing in the former MVP as their next manager.

Baltimore had a disappointing 2025 season, finishing with a 75-87 record despite playoff expectations. The front office parted ways with manager Brandon Hyde during the season, leading to Tony Mansolino filling in as the interim manager for the remainder of the season. Mansolino remains a candidate for the full-time position while the Orioles also look externally for their next skipper.

The news comes after Pujols reportedly met with Angels manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis last week about the Halos’ managerial position. He is still believed to be the lead candidate for the Angels, competing with another ex-Angel, Torii Hunter, to be the next manager.

Pujols may be interested in the Orioles' job, as the team has proven they have a roster capable of playing October baseball. In 2023, Baltimore won 101 games and won the American League East before ultimately being bounced out of the playoffs. They followed that up with a 91-win campaign in 2024, but lost in the Wild Card round. 2025 saw a further step back, but the core of the roster from the 2023 team is mostly still intact. Perhaps the addition of Pujols could help realign the Orioles and take them back to playoff baseball in 2026 and beyond.

It’s concerning news for the Angels, who have been interested in Pujols for a while now. It certainly would be a demoralizing start to the offseason if their ideal manager gets snagged by another team.

Pujols played 10 seasons with the Halos after signing a 10-year, $240 million deal ahead of the 2012 campaign. He accumulated 12.5 WAR during his Angels tenure, never fully living up the the lofty expectations placed on him by the contract. Still, he has remained close to the organization, even rejoining as a special assistant as part of a 10-year, $10 million personal services contract that kicked in after his retirement in 2022.

The race for Pujols is officially on, and if the Angels want the reunion, they need to act fast to lock down their former star as their next manager. Now, the ball is in the court of Minasian and owner Arte Moreno.