TEMPE, Ariz. — Albert Pujols found himself in a familiar setting Tuesday, back at Angels spring training. Now happily retired from playing, Pujols, 43, is a special assistant to the club under his 10-year personal services contract.
“It’s good just to be around, put the uniform back on and helping the young kids in the [batting] cage,” Pujols said Wednesday of his first day at camp. “So it’s a great time.”
It was always his plan to rejoin the Angels in this capacity after his playing career was finished. He also said that the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he started and finished his career, did not make him a similar offer, likely because they knew he had a personal services contract with the Angels.
This is the first spring in decades that Pujols does not have to prepare for a season, and he’s been enjoying his retirement so far.
“I don’t miss anything about it,” he said. “I was blessed to play for 23 years as a professional. I’m humbled. I would do it again if I had to but I’m really excited with where I’m at right now in my life.
Recently he was at the Super Bowl, and he also played in the celebrity game during NBA All-Star weekend.
“It’s fun,” he said, “because you realize all the good things you can do if you don’t have a schedule for seven or eight months that you have to show up every day. … I enjoy being able to to be on my schedule and do the things that I love to do whether it’s being with my family, taking them to the NBA All-Star Game, playing some golf, travel.”
He’s not ready for a role as a manager or a coach just yet and likes his more casual role as a mentor. As part of what he’ll do with the team, he will be at camp for a few days and then go to the team’s facility in the Dominican Republic to mentor some young players there.
“My job is just, the same way that a lot of other veteran guys helped me back in my early days,” he said, “it’s my job to help these guys out, to get better and be the superstar that they want to be.”
“Hopefully, if I can help them out, one or two things here and there … credit goes to them, not to myself.”
After that, wherever the Angels and general manager Perry Minasian need him to be, he’ll help out.
Pujols said he does not hold a grudge against the Angels for releasing him in May 2021, before his player contract was up. “It’s just part of the business. That’s how it is,” he said. “I’m happy to be back here.”
He also said his relationship with team owner Arte Moreno has not changed over the years, noting that Moreno sent him a congratulatory message after he reached the 700-home run milestone.
Seeing what this 2023 version of the Angels looks like and asked to compare it to any of his previous playoff-bound teams, Pujols highlighted the depth the Angels have.
“From the guys they signed in the offseason, which was really good signings,” he said. “I think those are guys, if one of the big guys go down, some of those guys can step up. Not that you wish anybody to get hurt, but it happens. It’s hard to keep a team healthy.
“When you look at that, that’s what you need to do to win a championship. You have depth, and the minor leagues, you need to have depth on the bench. And I think this team is really equipped to do that.”
As for any advice he could offer Shohei Ohtani, who is in the last year of his contract before being eligible for free agency, Pujols said: “It happens for superstars. Shohei is a pretty unique player. I’m glad I’m not in the front office trying to make that decision or having the honor to try to sign Shohei. It’s a lot of pressure.
“My encouragement to Shohei is to stay focused on trying to win a championship. That’s why you have an agent, to discuss any business.”
