Former Cardinals coach takes over for Bob Melvin, who left to lead the Giants.
Mike Shildt has been appointed as manager of the San Diego Padres, returning to the dugout two years after being sacked by the St. Louis Cardinals after their third consecutive playoff trip.
Shildt was signed to a two-year contract by the Padres on Tuesday.
He takes over for Bob Melvin, who was hired by the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 25 with a year left on his Padres deal. This marked the end of a two-year association with general manager A.J. Preller.
While managing the Cardinals in 2019, Shildt was named National League Manager of the Year. He takes over a big-spending team that collapsed spectacularly in 2023, a year after a thrilling run to the NLCS and after boosting its opening-day payroll to $258 million US, the third most in the majors.
Shildt had been a senior adviser to the Padres’ big league staff and player development department since 2022. His experience with the team’s top minor league prospects might be beneficial in managing a big-league group that includes players Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts.
Shildt took over as third base coach early in the 2023 season after Matt Williams underwent colon cancer treatment. Shildt filled in as third base coach, first base coach, and bench coach the prior season due to various medical circumstances.
He is San Diego’s third manager in four seasons and the team’s fifth full-time manager since midway through the 2015 season under Preller. Preller’s clubs have never won a division title, and Melvin is the only manager in Padres history to lead the team to consecutive winning seasons.
Preller and Melvin agreed to collaborate the following year. However, when the Giants requested permission to interview Melvin, the Padres agreed, and Melvin was shortly hired by his hometown team.
Shildt began his career as a scout for the Cardinals in 2003, then moved on to player development and progressed through the minor league system. In August 2018, he was named temporary manager, and the following season, he was named permanent manager.
Shildt was named National League Manager of the Year after the Cardinals won 91 games that season and proceeded to the NL Championship Series before being swept by the Nationals.
In 2021, the Cardinals set a franchise record with a 17-game winning streak and advanced to the wild-card game before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a walk-off homer. A week later, he was sacked due to “philosophical differences” between Shildt, the coaching staff, and the front office, according to Cardinals president John Mozeliak.
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