Red Sox Alex Cora Firing May Open Door for Cardinals Legend

Could the Cardinals legend have an opportunity in Boston?

Apr 24, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A view of St. Louis Cardinals players hats and gloves in the dugout during a game with the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-Imagn Images | David Kohl-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals chose to keep manager Oli Marmol for the 2026 season, passing up an opportunity to give franchise legends Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina a chance to lead. Molina is back on the coaching staff for St. Louis, while Pujols was ultimately in the running for the managerial roles with the Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles.

Pujols played 12 of his 22 seasons in St. Louis, hitting 703 career home runs and winning three National League MVP awards, as well as two World Series titles. He managed the Dominican Republic national team in the World Baseball Classic this spring.

However, now that the Boston Red Sox have fired Alex Cora, perhaps a spot will open up for Pujols to manage soon.

Could Alex Cora firing open door for Albert Pujols to manage?

Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic pitcher Abner Uribe (45) is taken out of the game by manager Albert Pujols (5) during the ninth inning against Venezuela at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Marmol was extended through the 2028 season, so there clearly is not an opportunity for Pujols to manage in St. Louis anytime soon. The Red Sox appointed Chad Tracy as their interim manager, but that may only be a short-term gig.

The Cardinals legend guided the Dominican Republic to the semifinals in the WBC and proved that he is capable of being a solid manager. The Padres, Angels and Orioles all passed on Pujols as a managerial candidate last fall, but perhaps a spot will open up soon.

Pujols has toyed around with the idea of managing in the major leagues and could very easily end up on a team's radar before long. Obviously, that opportunity won't come in St. Louis unless some major shakeup takes place, but Boston may need to find their next man soon.

Pujols is somebody with great experience in baseball and could also easily gain the respect of a clubhouse given his career accolades. It will certainly be interesting to see if he ends up on Boston's radar.

Boston would be an interesting fit for the Cardinals legend, as he never played for them during his career, but he seems to have what it takes to manage, and he would be able to join former Cardinal Willson Contreras if he ultimately is considered for the opening.

We'll see how thing shake out as the rest of the season unfolds, but with the St. Louis job already filled by Marmol, that doesn't appear to be possible for Pujols, though another opportunity could open up soon for the Cardinals great.