Padres Rumors: Preller May Forgo Interviewing Outside Candidates for Open Managerial Job

Mike Schildt or Ryan Flaherty for manager?

The Padres sent shockwaves throughout the managerial market when they let Bob Melvin sign with the division rival San Francisco Giants. 

Letting Melvin walk leaves San Diego with its second managerial vacant in the past three years. 

Melvin's time with the Padres only lasted two seasons and came with a NLCS appearance and a missed playoffs. 

Now that the Padres are in the market for a manager once again, the search may not take very long. 

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, general manager, AJ Preller could be looking internally to fill the manager position. 

The current expectation from within the Padres is that Ryan Flaherty or Mike Shildt will get the job, even if external candidates are interviewed. https://t.co/TZQmfdO3Mj

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) October 24, 2023

This past year Mike Schildt served as the Senior Advisor to Player Development & Major Leagues for the Padres. Before joining the organization Schildt was the manager for St. Louis Cardinals for four seasons. 

In his managerial career, Schildt has gone 252-199 with three consecutive playoff appearances from 2019-2021. He was fired after the Cardinals lost to the Dodgers in the 2021 NL Wild Card game. 

Ryan Flaherty has no managerial experience yet. He spent the past season as the padres bench coach. 

Flaherty played eight years in the MLB with the Orioles, Braves and Guardians. He retired in 2019 and joined the Padres organization for a couple seasons. 

The Padres should have no problems finding a new manager. While there is a chance that the team will interview external candidates, either Schildt or Flaherty will most likely be the next manager.