Padres Manager Mike Shildt Explains How He'll Get the Most Out of San Diego's Core

A lot of egos to handle for the new Friars skipper

Your San Diego Padres have a new manager, and he goes by the name of Mike Shildt. Shildt was introduced as the new manager of San Diego on Tuesday and will be the 22nd coach in franchise history. 

The Padres will look to turn the page on an underwhelming 2023 season and get set for a big 2024 season to get back where they believe they belong. That all starts with the new manager and his star core. As of late November, the Padres still have the most loaded roster on paper, led by Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, and Juan Soto (for now). That's just on the offensive side. 

Having this type of talent is a luxury, but as we've seen, it's been a struggle to keep them together. In Shildt's opening press conference, he talked about how he'll get the most out of the core. 

“First of all,” Shildt said, “you need to make sure that they’re themselves. … I mean, these are high-level, high-performing, exceptional talents that we have in this club. I’m excited to work with them, help create a structure where they can thrive and create accountability where the team can thrive as well. So, let them be themselves in a team setting. Get buy-in from them, which I don’t think is going to be an issue. These guys are tremendous guys, super hungry. And let 'em go play with joy.” 

(Per Mike Shildt via MLB)

It's not all sunshine and rainbows with a talented team as the Padres, and 2023 was a prime example of that. Still, these are champagne problems, and it's on Shildt to get these guys in line to pile the wins. 

Soto may or may not be around for his new manager, but even without his talent, potentially, San Diego and Shildt will have a ton of work to do to make it work, and we cannot wait to see how it all plays out.