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Under the management of Rob Thompson, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a great stretch of seasons, with a record of 346-251 in the regular season, four postseason appearances, and a record of 21-17 for the postseason.
However, in the past two postseasons, the Phillies have been swift exits, losing 3-1 in the past two NLDS. With that in mind, and Thompson getting up there in age, a new skipper may be on the horizon for Philly. FanSided’s Jake Elman believes that the answer could be a future Hall-of-Famer and World Baseball Classic manager Albert Pujols.
“Pujols has been linked to managerial positions before, and he interviewed with the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres this past offseason. Given his pedigree and his experience in the WBC, we might be closer to “when” rather than “if” as it relates to Pujols earning an MLB managerial job. Phillies manager Rob Thomson turns 63 in August, and he’s under contract through the 2027 season. Could the two sides move in another direction if this season doesn’t go as planned? If so, Pujols is absolutely worth interviewing, though he’d arrive in Philadelphia under immense pressure, especially with several veterans — most notably Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Zack Wheeler — entering the back half of their careers,” Elman wrote.
Currently, Pujols is leading his country in the Dominican Republic to major success in the WBC, where they are currently in the semi-final set to face the United States. If he somehow makes it all the way and helps the DR win it all, every MLB team in need of a new skipper will be calling.
On the flip side, if the Phillies show early on that they’re no longer the power they’ve been for a while, reloading managerially might be their best move. And Pujols should be at the top of the list.
Hopefully, the Phillies start off strong and don’t need any changes. However, if they’ve clearly regressed, getting Pujols should be their top priority.
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