Cardinals National League Foe Reportedly Hiring Ex-St. Louis Manager To Fill Vacancy

St. Louis is set to square off against a familiar face next season

A former St. Louis Cardinals skipper will be leading the charge against his old ballclub next season after being promoted to manager by a National League rival.

"We (San Diego Padres) have agreed to terms with Mike Shildt on a two-year contract to become our new manager," the team announced Tuesday.

This move comes after former Padres manager, Bob Melvin, was hired to manage the San Francisco Giants last month.

Shildt has been the Padres' Senior Advisor to Player Development and Major Leagues for the past two seasons after leaving the Cardinals' managerial role in 2021 -- a position which he held for 3 1/2 seasons -- 2018-21

The former St. Louis skipper posted a 251-199 record and led the Cardinals to the postseason in all three of his full seasons during his reign. Shildt even won National League Manager of the Year in 2021.

After finishing with a disappointing 82-80 record and missing the playoffs -- despite a $250+ million payroll -- the Padres are hoping to turn things around with Shildt leading the way.

The Cardinals will get their chance to compete against a Shildt-led Padres when they head to San Diego on April 1 to kick off a three-game series. 

More MLB: Phillies Could Pursue Ex-Cardinals Fireballer This Offseason In Free Agency