SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – The San Diego Padres are hiring Mike Shildt as the team’s next manager, the organization announced Tuesday.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic and ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported Tuesday morning that the 55-year-old Shildt will move from his team adviser role to manager, taking over for Bob Melvin, who left the Padres to take the San Francisco Giants’ managerial job.
Shortly after the reports, the Padres issued a press release to officially confirm the signing of Shildt to a two-year contract to be the team's skipper.
Padres President of Baseball Operations/General Manager A.J. Preller said of Shildt, “Mike is a proven winner as a manager at the Major League level, and he brings over two decades of experience in professional baseball to the position. In his time here, Mike has displayed a strong baseball intellect, a passion for teaching the game, and has established relationships with players and staff at both the minor and Major League levels. We believe that Mike is the right person to lead the Padres forward in our continued pursuit of a World Series championship.”
Shildt previously managed the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018-2021, compiling a 252-199 record and leading the team to three consecutive postseason appearances.
He was named the National League Manager of the Year in 2019.
After Shildt was let go by the Cardinals following the 2021 season, he joined the Padres organization in the 2022 season in an advisory role.
In addition to his front office duties, Shildt also served as an interim third base coach during stretches of the 2022 and 2023 campaigns.
