Ex-Cardinals Skipper Reportedly Top Candidate To Manage NL Foe

St. Louis could oppose a familiar face next season

Scott Neville | Oct 23, 2023

Ex-Cardinals Skipper Reportedly Top Candidate To Manage NL Foe /

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals dealt with fan-fueled speculation that manager Oli Marmol could be on the hot seat after the organization's first last-place finish in the National League Central since 1990.

Meanwhile, his predecessor was working his way up a National League foe's internal coaching tree and could be promoted in the near future.

"Ryan Flaherty and Mike Shildt are the top two candidates to replace Bob Melvin as the (San Diego) Padres manager once he is hired by the San Francisco Giants," USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Sunday.

Flaherty was a longtime Baltimore Orioles infielder and is now the Padres bench coach.

Shildt most recently managed the Cardinals from 2018-21, posting a 252-199 record and making the postseason in all three of his full seasons leading the charge. The journeyman coach even claimed the National League Manager of the Year in 2021. He's now in a versatile role with San Diego, listed as a Senior Advisor to Player Development and Major Leagues.

With Melvin looking to join the Padres cross-state rivals, it appears that Schildt -- who has expressed interest in becoming manager once again -- will be a top candidate to succeed him.

More MLB: Could Cardinals Pull Off Blockbuster Trade With Miami Marlins This Winter?

Published Oct 23, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the St. Louis Cardinals for FanNation's "Inside The Cardinals" on Sports Illustrated. Before starting "Inside The Cardinals", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." After a few months as the top Major League Baseball site in the program, Neville sought expansion and pitched "Inside The Cardinals," one of the newest additions to FanNation and the Sports Illustrated Media Group. The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Cardinals" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu