Shildt Steps Down as San Diego Padres Skipper

In a stunning decision, Mike Shildt has stepped down as San Diego Padres skipper after only two seasons at the helm with two more years on his contract.

Shildt led the Padres to back-to-back post-season berths and for the first time in franchise history, the team posted back-to-back 90 plus win seasons. But Shildt was burned out. In which case, it is for the best that he walks away under his own power. 

Aside from the fact the Padres have never won a World Series title, I would have liked Shildt to have earned a World Series ring after the way he was abruptly dismissed by the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2021 season despite having led the team to the post-season in three of the four years he was there.

Who knows? Perhaps Shildt will be back in a big-league dugout and just needs to recharge his batteries much like Terry Francona did. Or perhaps Shildt will return to baseball in a player development capacity or return to the dugout as a bench coach with less pressure on his shoulders. Whatever he decides to do, I hope nothing for the best for Mike Shildt.

So where do the Padres go from here? To be precise, what does GM A.J. Preller want to do? Does he go with a manager with less experience along the lines of former Padres skippers Andy Green or Jaycee Tingler? Or does he go with a guy with more experience like former Padres manager Bob Melvin? To be clear, given Preller and Melvin's past relationship I don't think there would be a reunion. But is it out of the question for Preller to give Bruce Bochy a call? Bochy, who recently ended his tenure in the Texas Rangers dugout, began his big-league managerial career with the Padres leading the team to the NL pennant in 1998. They've never got that far ever since.

Whatever the case, with Shildt's sudden departure there are now 8 teams seeking a new skipper in 2026. Aside from the Padres, the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants are also seeking new managers.