Padres Manager Mike Shildt Feels Relationship With Farm System Will Serve Team Well

While the San Diego Padres were searching for their new manager, the one aspect that kept coming back up was their desire to hire someone in-house. They saw multiple candidates within the organization that they believed could help get them where they needed to go.

The team went with coach Mike Shildt for the job, and they believe his familiarity with the team will serve him well. He has spent time working with the prospects in the organization and Shildt believes that his experience will ultimately help him in his new role.

“It’s important,” Shildt said, “and I think (it’s about creating) cohesiveness with our system and a comfort level, which I have and continue to work and nurture those relationships with, clearly our players in the big-league level, but the guys that are coming up. … But (it’s) going to Arizona earlier when some of those guys were in their camps and of course getting to know them in spring training and being intentional about that.”

Per Mike Shildt via The SD Union-Tribune

San Diego wanted someone in-house, in part because of this. They preferred someone who already knew their prospects and players, knowing how they operate.

It’s a minor detail on the surface, but it can mean so much in the day-to-day grind of a season. He knows these players, and that should bode well for the team when they are making their roster decisions.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller spoke on this and said that it was a big reason why he was hired over the other finalists for the job.

“I think we viewed it as important, clearly,” Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller said. “… I think him knowing the players firsthand, seeing them play, knowing them personally and his background as a developer and a minor-league coach and somebody that kind of understands the transition and what it looks like.”

Per A.J. Preller via The SD Union-Tribune

Shildt has his work cut out for him this coming season, and the pressure is on. Especially with him only receiving a two-year contract, he doesn’t want to become a lame-duck coach entering 2025.

The Padres have to get themselves back into a spot of contention this coming year, otherwise, things could get ugly. Having a proven leader like Shildt should help things, and now it’s time to get to work.