GM AJ Preller Reveals Why Padres Decided to Hire Mike Shildt as New Manager

Familiarity seemed to be a key theme for Preller.

The San Diego Padres finally announced their new manager after a long search to find the correct person to lead them. Bench coach Mike Shildt was given the opportunity, and the team couldn't be more excited.

They cast a wide net but found that Shildt was the man to do the job. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller explained why the team decided to hire Shildt over their other interviewed candidates.

“Mike, he is familiar with our players, our staff, the minor leagues. We feel really confident this is a team that can win games and play in the playoffs next year."

Per A.J. Preller via The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego wanted to hire someone in-house if possible because they wanted that familiarity with their players. After the tough year that the team just had, they wanted someone who understood how they do things but could find a way to tweak them to find success.

Shildt brings experience to the table, having managed the St. Louis Cardinals in the past. The Padres preferred him over others due to his understanding of what it takes to lead a team.

"So I think not having to get Mike up to speed on kind of where we’re at and what this group is capable of — he knows it, he has seen it firsthand the last couple of years — that was definitely a factor for us.”

Per A.J. Preller via The San Diego Union-Tribune

The window with this current core of players isn't going to last very long, so the Padres are trying to maximize it. They wanted a leader, which is something that they were desperately missing last season.

“Mike Shildt teams are very prepared and detail-oriented,” Preller said. “From the years of talking to Mike and especially in the last couple of seasons, his communication with players and his style is very open and transparent. ... Mike takes a lot of pride in being known as an organization person. I think that’s going to serve us very well."

Per A.J. Preller via The San Diego Union-Tribune

One of the biggest issues for the Padres last season was their lack of consistency and overall organization. Shildt should help with this, and he will get them in line for the new year. This is a great hire by the Padres, and hopefully, it will help them get back into playoff contention for 2024 and beyond.