Mike Shildt is the new San Diego Padres manager

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. – White smoke finally emerged from the San Diego Padres’ headquarters. Mike Shildt will be their new manager for the 2024 season.

Shildt was already part of the Padres’ coaching staff, so he is seen as a home-grown man who will continue Bob Melvin’s project.

The other two leading candidates, Phil Nevin and Benjamín Gil, were ultimately not chosen, possibly due to the radical change that their arrival would represent, just a few days after the death of their owner Peter Seidler.

Shildt managed the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018 to 2021. In his first season, they finished in third place. Then, they won the division. The following two years, they finished in second place.

His record as manager is 252 wins and 199 losses, for a .559 winning percentage throughout his managerial career.

San Diego now has the task of restructuring, which has already begun with the departure of several of their star players and the signing of lower-profile players. Despite everything, Shildt will have a squad full of great figures, even with the uncertainty surrounding the future of batter Juan Soto.

The big task for the Padres after the appointment of Shildt will be to reassemble the group of pitchers. There is uncertainty about Blake Snell and Josh Hader, who are free agents and could or could not return to the team. They will also have to fill the gap left by the departure of Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, as well as the confirmed departure of Nick Martínez. That is too many arms for the Padres to lose.

On offense, even with the uncertainty about whether Juan Soto will be traded or not, the Padres have great stars on multi-year contracts. This means they won’t have to go out to the market to look desperately.

Several players who have completed their contracts remain in doubt for next season. AJ Preller will have to do a great job in the coming weeks, even more so with the new work environment, in which Seidler will no longer be there.

The Padres are preparing for a comeback year after a disappointing season in 2023.