Padres hire Mike Shildt as new manager on 2-year deal

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have given Mike Shildt another opportunity to manage in the big leagues, just two years after his tenure with St. Louis came to an abrupt end, despite leading the Cardinals to three straight playoff appearances and winning the 2019 NL Manager of the Year Award.

Shildt was signed to a two-year contract on Tuesday to replace Bob Melvin, who was hired away by the San Francisco Giants with a year left on his contract with the Padres. This concluded a strained two-year relationship with general manager A.J. Preller.

“I am extremely grateful for the chance to have a second act,” Shildt stated at a Petco Park news conference. “I’m excited about our team and promise not to take this position for granted. There are only 30 of these jobs, and I am excited to be part of it.”

Both Shildt and Preller fondly remembered Peter Seidler, the Padres owner and chairman who tragically passed away a week before.

Seidler’s dream was for the Padres to win the World Series and have a parade. However, the star-studded roster, with the third-highest payroll in baseball, did not deliver, missing the playoffs.

Shildt spoke of his frequent conversations with Seidler about baseball, life, community, and charity, expressing his gratitude for having known such a remarkable gentleman and vowing to help carry on Seidler’s vision for the Padres.

Having been with the organization for two years, Shildt’s familiarity with the team’s top minor league prospects could be invaluable in guiding a big league roster led by stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts.

Shildt had temporarily taken on various coaching roles due to medical situations within the team over the past seasons, and is now San Diego’s third manager in four seasons.

Shildt joined the Cardinals in 2003 as a scout and worked his way through the minor league system before becoming the interim manager in August 2018, eventually leading the team to the NLCS. However, he was fired by the Cardinals after the 2021 season due to “philosophical differences.”

After reports of a dysfunctional organization and lack of clubhouse leadership within the Padres, the team hired Shildt in the hope of bringing stability and alignment throughout the organization.

Preller expressed his confidence in Shildt’s capabilities, emphasizing his expertise, strategic acumen, and commitment to detail, while Shildt also affirmed his readiness to work with the front office in a collaborative and aligned manner.

It was revealed that the Padres had discussed the managerial role with Shildt two years ago, but he felt that he could better serve the organization in a different capacity at the time.