On Tuesday, the Angels dismissed manager Ron Washington after two seasons on the job, though his second year was cut short due to health concerns. Anaheim declined to pick up his club option and vowed that their search would commence immediately.
Just a day later, Sam Blum, Katie Woo, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that future first-ballot Hall of Famer and short-term Dodgers infielder Albert Pujols was believed to be Angels owner Arte Moreno's favorite candidate to take over Washington's old role.
Pujols signed a major league deal with the Dodgers in May 2021, after being DFA'd by the Angels following 24 games with a .