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Retired slugger and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols has been named by Major League Baseball as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred. The league made the announcement on Monday. 

According to the league's statement, Pujols will "consult with MLB on a range of topics, including player relations and issues regarding his home country, the Dominican Republic." As well, Pujols work as an on-air analyst for MLB Network. Manfred in that same statement said: 

"Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well. He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities. We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts."

As the release notes, Pujols joins a stable of notable former players that currently work for the league in some capacity. Those players include Joe Torre, Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., CC Sabathia, and Raul Ibañez. 

As Evan Drellich speculates, Pujols' stated involvement in his native Dominican Republic may be tied to MLB's long-standing desire to implement an international draft. 

Pujols, now 43, in 2022 enjoyed one of the most productive final seasons in the history of the game, as he slugged 24 home runs in 109 games and put up an OPS+ of 151 in a reunion campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team that originally drafted him in 1999. Across parts of 22 MLB seasons, 12 of which came with the Cardinals, Pujols amassed 3,384 hits and 703 home runs and along the way established himself as one of the great right-handed hitters ever.