Retired Albert Pujols joins Angels camp: It’s good to ‘put the uniform back on’

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 re-join the Angels in this capacity after his playing career was finished. As part of his new role 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. 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 of 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.”

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,” he said. “And I think this team is really equipped to do that.”