Albert Pujols met with Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian in St. Louis on Thursday night to discuss the team's managerial vacancy, a source familiar with the process told ESPN on Friday.

A formal offer has not been made, sources cautioned, though Pujols has been considered a top candidate since the Angels declined Ron Washington's 2026 contract option last week. The Angels are one of six teams currently searching for new managers.

Pujols, 45, has expressed strong interest in managing at the major league level for years. He led Dominican winter ball team Leones del Escogido to a championship in January and was previously named manager for the Dominican Republic in next year's World Baseball Classic.

Other clubs have inquired about Pujols, though the Angels are the only team he has formally met about managing thus far, according to a source. He would likely rescind his World Baseball Classic role if he lands a big league job this offseason.

Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Angels in December 2011 that included a 10-year, $10 million personal-services contract after retirement. What becomes of that deal would likely be part of any financial negotiations with the Angels.

Pujols has served as a special guest instructor at Angels spring training each of the past three years. He is considered a prime candidate by both Minasian, who held him in high regard even after releasing him in May 2021, and Angels owner Arte Moreno.

One of the greatest players of the 2000s, Pujols won three MVPs and two World Series championships across a 22-year career. He finished with 703 home runs, 2,218 RBIs and 3,384 hits, with his best years coming in St. Louis.