In a surprising move, Padres manager Mike Shildt has announced he is stepping down from that role, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune. The decision was Shildt’s, Acee adds. He has managed the club for two years and had two years remaining on his contract.
“The grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally,” Shildt wrote in a letter to the Union-Tribune. “While it has always been about serving others, it’s time I take care of myself and exit on my own terms.” He went on to thank the Padres organization, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, and the players for his time with the team and wished them future success. In a statement released by the team, Preller said of Shildt, “His dedication and passion for the game of baseball will leave an impact on our organization, and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”
Shildt, 57, has led the Padres to a 183-141 (.565) record since the start of 2024. The club made the postseason in both of those years, reaching the National League Division Series in 2024 and the Wild Card Series this year. In that time, the team has gotten strong performances out of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jake Cronenworth among others, while also seeing the emergence of Jackson Merrill. The club is tied for seventh-best in the league with a 107 wRC+ in that time. Pitching-wise, the team ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.75 ERA and seventh with a 15.7% K-BB rate since the start of 2024. That success includes strong performances from starters Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta, along with relievers Adrian Morejon and Robert Suarez. If not for the perennially excellent Dodgers, the Padres may have had a shot at first place in the NL West in those two years. Even then, it is hard to consider Shildt’s tenure with San Diego as anything other than a success.
Prior to managing the Padres, Shildt held various roles in the Cardinals organization, acting as quality control coach and third base coach in 2017 and bench coach in 2018. He was named the interim manager upon the firing of Mike Matheny in July 2018 and became the permanent manager in August of that year. He held that post through the 2021 season before departing the organization due to what were described at the time as “philosophical differences.” Shildt was hired by San Diego in a player development role in January 2022 and became the manager in November 2023 following Bob Melvin’s departure for the Giants. In all, he has posted a 435-340 (.561) record in parts of six seasons as a big-league manager and has twice finished in the top two for the NL Manager of the Year Award, winning it in 2019 with the Cardinals and finishing as the runner-up last year with the Padres.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Shildt is not necessarily retiring from baseball altogether. Rather, he is simply not looking to continue managing in the immediate future. When asked about the possibility, Shildt said, “Not at the moment. I need a break and take care of myself.” That’s not a definitive declaration that he’ll return to the dugout at some point, but Shildt left the door open for potential future opportunities. A return under those conditions would hardly be unprecedented; we’ve recently seen both Bruce Bochy and Terry Francona return to big league dugouts at older ages than Shildt.
With the Padres now looking for a new skipper, a staggering 10 out of 30 teams will enter 2026 with a different manager than the one with which they opened the 2025 season. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller thanked Shildt for his “significant contributions to the Padres and the San Diego community over the last four years” in a press release this morning and added that the search for a new manager will begin immediately.
Didn’t see that coming. Maybe he wants SF
According to the Instagram post, he’s retiring.
He may need a couple years away to recharge, much like Tito. Wish him well, whatever happens.
He said he isn’t retiring, he’s taking some time off from baseball.
He said he is retiring from managing.
“Padres manager Mike Shildt announces retirement”
mlb.com/news/mike-shildt-retiring-as-padres-manage…
“It is with a heavy but full heart that I am announcing my retirement”
From the Padres, not from baseball. Last I checked they were not one in the same.
Do you not understand what retirement means?
Bruce Bochy?
Yes, which is why we understand that he didn’t use that word except to say that he is not retiring.
“It is with a heavy but full heart that I am announcing my retirement”
He literally said he was retiring.
Literally, from the Padres. Literally, not from baseball.
He’ll probably comeback after he resets for a year or two. Feels like guys like him become even more desirable sitting at home for a few years.
He’ll probably be back somewhere
This is my interpretation. We can’t know anything about conversations taking place in the clubhouse and corporate offices, but we should know that when a team underperforms expectations, upper management always lays the blame on the guy with the number on his back. This probably isn’t Shildt’s last managing assignment.
Maybe he wants Disneyland
Kind of young for someone who is only 57 and doesn’t have a ton of MLB managing experience. Shildt is more of an east coast guy so geography probably played a major role. My guess is he will pull a Tito and will be back in 2 or 3 years.
According to the letter he wrote, the grind of coaching is just too much for him and he’s retiring.
See if he can handle the grind of where’s my double latte frappachino
With extra foam…
The grind of managing, you mean. Please don’t use “coach” generically to mean manager, it’s nails on the blackboard to us baseball fans. Also, that’s what Shildt said.
Sounds like physical health issues prompted this unexpected departure
Could be mental. Maybe the stress made him drink too much for example.
He’s obviously burnt out and needs a break for a few years, I doubt seriously he’s waiting for another specific job like SF
Pirates
Can he play 3B and hit 20+ HR?
Ill take news I didn’t expect to hear today for $800 Ken.
He probably got tired of the diva culture in the clubhouse
Or got tired of always playing second fiddle to big Blue brother up the road
I know exactly what you mean. He has that 1980s vibe going where he looks 20 years older than me actually is.
Name a single org which doesn’t have “diva” culture?
Pirates? Get bratty and run afoul of your ‘mates, get forced to walk the plank. Yarrrr!
Dodgers
Blue Jays, Dodgers, Brewers, Tigers, Cubs., Phillies, etc.
Shocker to me.
However, I can also see how after 5 seasons managing, being the “high energy” positive kind of guy he is, he’s had enough. He’s an honorable man, that’ much is certain (i.e. walking away from guaranteed money).
Wish him the best. He was the best manager of the Preller era. The Padres have a major hole to fill. Anything at this point is possible, including someone like Niebla moving up. This is the most confounding thing that’s happened since I’ve been watching the Pads (i.e. maybe late 90’s).
Best to just keep Ruben in his current role. Maybe give him a raise.
Agree, but that means Ruben has to sign off on the new guy. If Ruben wants it, we might not be able to keep him around if we go another direction.
That’s my thought, too. If Ruben isn’t hired by the Padres, and wants to remain in California (i.e. his home state, I believe), he might have to wait years, maybe a decade, for a manager opening somewhere on the West Coast. It’s kind of like the situation with Dave Roberts. The Pads declined to interview him (or did, and didn’t hire him – I can’t recall), and the next year, he was managing in L.A.. I’m not comparing Niebla to Roberts as talent, just the situation.
~~ IF ~~ Niebla want’s to manage in the near future, and IF he’s not offered the job by the Padres, then he will probably leave San Diego sooner than later, even if it’s only for another pitching manager job, or maybe an promotional opportunity, like bench coach.
I’d hate to lose him as pitching coach, too, but the guy deserves the opportunities he’s earned.
He’s not leaving San Diego for a lateral move. While he might leave for a manager job the history of pitching coaches as managers is… dismal.
padres are a solid tm! shocking he left
issues with FO/ownership?
just read he retired from baseball
physical mental toll of managing
wow
Wow. Another manager post is open. I can’t remember the last time there were this many manager positions open.
Hope everything is okay with Shildt. He’s had a lot of success in his managerial career.
What rock have you been hiding under? There have been numerous years with lot if manager openings since I have been baseball fan since 1983. Might have more open soon also!
I don’t recall the last time that nearly one-third of the league was seeking a manager in the offseason, but you have been a fan for about 25 years longer than I have.
As the article said, 10 is a staggering number of teams needing a new manager. It is a record. Most in any previous season was 8.
Was he promised another job managing? Think that’s tampering. Maybe he just wants a break.
Craig Counsell says hi!
Come to the Nats, Schildt!
Is he a great manager?
Y tho?
He announced his retirement from managing altogether, citing the physical, mental and emotional toll the job has taken on him.
It’s not easy losing every year
It’s not easy running a daycare for millionaire athletes. I can only imagine what it looks like behind the scenes, given what is public knowledge.
Player issues, ownership situation, etc.
Short Bus Freddie, Shildt has never managed a losing team.
“philosophical differences”?
Basically he wanted the Cardinals to do everything they are forced to do now back in 2022 before they became a laughing stock in STL. The organization disagreed then but now are scrambling to do it with a new front office.
Yep! 👍👆You got it JCH!
Dogers all but handed him the division and they said no thanks.
Ok there’s no effing way A. J. Preller should get to hire a SEVENTH new manager. People were saying 4 years ago that Bob Melvin was the last new manager he would get to hire. Common denominator and all that.
Just don’t see the Padres doing a front office change while also finding a new field manager.
Oh and why not?
Consecutive 90-win seasons, 4 playoff runs in 6 years. Preller is going nowhere. Shildt’s run bought him a contract extension.
7 managers in 12 years (not even counting Dave Roberts and Rod Barajas)
“Preller is going nowhere.”
That’s correct on multiple levels. We know one place he’s never going is first place in the NL West. And the World Series.
@Mustard
Here’s a gold star for being clever on the internet.
“OK there’s no effing way”…You didn’t actually state a single specific reason why A.J should not be allowed to hire another manager.
I’m formerly one of Prellar’s biggest critics, but this guy buys, sells, trades and acquires more baseball talent in a single year, than some GMs do in a decade.
“People were saying 4 years ago that Bob Melvin was the last new manager he would get to hire. Common denominator and all that.”
@Adrian what people were saying that?
Boss Move!
Hey bud black…..
Preller is the one who fired Buddy 10.5 years ago. I doubt whether either of them wants that. And if Black’s fanboys on here are any indication he’ll have other options.
And? Buddy just got fired by the Rockies. His choices aren’t exactly numerous if he’s offered the job doubt he’s like nah
Black was actually a scapegoat for the Rockies. Their failures fall more from the Front Office than Blacks managing. We didn’t mind Black running the dugout ,but he could only do so much with what he had.
To hear his fanboys tell it he’d have won multiple rings by now if he didn’t spend his entire managerial career with a pair of poverty franchises and if he’s ever available every team’s owner will be pushing and shoving each other out of the way to get to him.
Bud Black is not a great manager but I’d still put him above most these days. Dude’s a local, at least.
Not many guys I mute after the first post I see of theirs. Congratulations. You have reached the top of trolldom.
Per a letter he penned to the UT, he stepped down for personal health reasons. If he takes another job, he’ll garner a lot of ill will here.
Having said that, I think a new voice is needed. Shildt was stubborn bordering on arrogant this year, particularly with lineup construction. Arraez stayed at 2 and played 1b despite the acquisition of O’Hearn. Fernando stayed at leadoff despite the team’s need for middle order slug. Both players had, arguably, their worst offensive seasons.
While I admit that injuries and lack of depth doomed this team to a certain degree, a more flexible and open minded manager can greatly benefit the 2026 padres. Bochy is an obvious choice given his 3 rings with offensively challenged Giants teams and would be a great come home story. Skip Schumacher would have been the perfect fit here had Shildt announced this last week. Not sure if there’s another available comp of youthful exuberance and managerial experience at the pro level though.
Nail in the coffin was refusal to mess with batting order I get “trusting” guys and having “faith” but season on the line….
Oscar Gonazalez, Yuli Gurriel, Jose Iglesias and Jason Heyward started for us on opening day. The Arraez thing was annoying but Shildt has always found a way to win.
I don’t know that Bochy is an option. He looks like he is getting ready to retire himself.
The timing of this would never have mattered regarding Schumacher. Skip was joining the Rangers no matter what.
Managers in today’s game are extensions of the front office. The lineup construction you disliked so much is at least as much a product of the front office game planning as it was the manager. So expect the same from the next manager. Because this is how it works in the analytics era.
Queueing Baldelli in ……
I’m not sure if he stepped down of his own accord or they just allowed him to say he did but if he did that means he forfeits the 2 years left on his contract.
Unless they pay him without telling anybody. A mutual compromise.
Let Manny manage. He’s great at rah rah meetings on the mound, as well as in the dugout, occasionally leading to 24 straight scoreless innings.
Who ever it is, has to be a Preller yes man.
Interesting that 2 managers in a row leave after 2 years on their own accord from a playoff caliber team and would rather manage a less talented team or just leave altogether.
Shildt could have health or family issues that we know nothing about but just an interesting observation for this organization who can never have stability in management despite trying to be a World Series contender.
Melvin was a poor fit and going into a lame duck season; given that the Giants fired him 2 years later, I think it’s hard to pin that one on SD. Shildt’s situation feels completely different.
The Padres have a very capable, winning candidate already on staff. Scott Servais had a solid 9-year run with the Mariners (680-642). He got relieved last year after a pivotal losing streak–somebody’s head had to roll and you can’t fire ownership. He’s currently a special assistant for player development with San Diego. He’s not getting much credit, but the Ms owe at least some of their current success to him.
Buck Showalter would be a good fit in San Diego…
If only moron Rob Thomson would follow this example
It was fun while it lasted.
I wish him all the best. Much respect for Mike. Mahalo
That’s a bit shocking for sure. But hey if he was truly worn down it’s not worth it. I guess he thought maybe it would affect his long term health so good for him. Excellent manager.
Aloha uncle, it sure is. His health comes first. As an aside, I’ll say this, I’d take Shildt over CC. St Louis made a mistake letting him go. Take care now. Mahalo
Padres please hire former padre mark kotsay away from A’s
Wow, it seemed like the padres had finally found a manager who would be around for a few years but I guess it’s back to the churn.
Offer it to Niebla first. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Shildt this past season but there were some gaps in the roster and the old-school offensive approach wasn’t solely on him. I really liked his fire and it was clear the players appreciated playing for him.
Maybe the Cubs can trade Counsell to the Padres for a pack of gum.
From the outside looking in my opinion is that you padres fans should be very happy to see this. Shildt really loved bunting and making weird lineup decisions. Also not surprised to hear him say he’s physically and emotionally exhausted. Managing Machado, Tatis, and Merrill would do that to anyone.
Lol why would Merrill make him physically and emotionally exhausted?
why would you lump Merrill in with those two?
Just like Melvin before him he can’t stand Machado and playing angry and that comes directly from a close friend on the Pads. Most on the team hate him like all on the Dodgers did and the birds before that, he’s a cancer on every team he touches
Lying is no way to go through life.
I guarantee that I spend more time around the team than anyone you know and Machado is thought of in the same light as Musgrove. He is a leader.
We really miss Mike here in STL after management did him wrong and canned him.
Hoping for the best for Mike, a true baseball man and seems like a no-bs, awesome guy, in general.
Best of luck, Mike!
A lot of Padre fans wanted this, but I would have been fine with him coming back for another year. Not sure if it would have mattered where in the lineup Tatis and Machado were in the playoffs, 2 for 12 combined is still 2 for 12. Would like to see Niebla stick around as pitching coach, but the new Manager should be able to pick his own coaching staff, we’ll see what happens.
If Niebla isn’t the new manager in SD or someplace else, the new manager here will not have a choice in whether or not he stays.
Thanks, Mike…you did a great job!!!
He quit because he knows the Padres are going to lose a ton of FA next year and as usual they emptied their farm system in going after guys this year.
GFY. Nothing to do with Shildt’s retirement, or this thread.
Same ole bad take. You can copy and paste your comment every offseason in the last 6 years. You act like the Padres haven’t lost any significant talent in the last few years and still find ways to reinvent, reinvest and still compete.
Nowadays, managers have double digit coaching staffs. If someone asked me to describe why being an MLB manager is so exhausting, I have no answer.
Do people here think that being a manager of a contending team is more stressful in 2025 or in 1985?
2025. the average fan has access to more information, more interviews and commentary, more TV broadcasts of all teams.
A manager in 1985 had more autonomy and a manager today has a lot more responsibility with media, interviews etc. There wasn’t the same kind of coverage in 1985.
This doesn’t even take into consideration modern day toxic fan culture / betting.
He talks about mental and emotional stress being principle causes. Wonder how much of that came from FO interference. Maybe not Preller, but maybe some of his minions.
Maybe he’s been told that they are going to decrease payroll. Did they ever settle their owmership?
Should have never extended in the first place
I don’t know how anyone manages a long time these days. Being the scapegoat for almost every facet of a ball club doesn’t sound like fun to me.
He’ll sit out a couple of years then join the Baltimore Orioles, the team he grew up loving.
Out of respect just like Bochy he was given the chance to step down before they fired him. It’s a win now world and 2 years is like 10 before.
If fired, he is paid for the remaining two years of his contract. Resigning gets him none of his remaining salary, unless he arrived at an agreement with the Padres to receive some part of it. Presumably this is what occurred as Schildt declined to answer any questions about the financial arrangements.
Bochy got screwed by Farhan the moron. The guy that thinks he knows everything, but knows nothing.
The job is a grind. Starts in mid February, ends sometime in October, and you’re away from your family more time than not.
Hopefully he gets his physical and mental health in order and enjoys whatever he does next.
I admire people who step away from the table on their own volition.
This makes eight teams vying for a manager right now. Tough gig!
Discipline foppert, discipline.
Wow. Thats a surprise.
Haha…..
I’m not commenting until we hear from Gwynning. He’s the Padre fan whose perspective I respect.
This puts the team in a hard spot. The WS contention window is closing. 2026 has to be WS or bust. Seidler’s email to season ticket holders pretty much says that. Results up to this point are fine for years past, but no longer. The next manager cannot be a rookie manager. No Jayce Tingler, Andy Green experiments. Must be a proven winner. But then again, has to be able to check his ego if he is going to work for Preller. Shildt says that managing this year took a physical, mental and emotional toll. Ownership needs to peel that onion. He didn’t say that last year. Melvin had issues with the FO and I will not be surprised if Shildt did too. Ownership should go ahead and rip the bandaid. Replace Preller. Get a veteran manager that has more control over how the team is run without upstairs interference. Folks might say that the players are the issue. Maybe so, but you can’t get rid of guys with no trade clauses. Besides, these are all Preller gets. Hold him accountable for the turmoil. Thank him for making the team at least relevant, if not WS caliber and move on.
So much pressure in that position, probably the most thankless in baseball