Padres Finalize Massive Offseason Move Fans Hoped to See

The Padres are securing another member of the team.

Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres have reportedly finalized a multi-year contract with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune.

The new multi-year contract for Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla has been finalized.

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) November 8, 2024

The deal does not come as a surprise, as the Padres indicated following the season that they were looking to get an extension done with Niebla.

"We’re going to reward the people that perform," Padres general manager A.J. Preller said recently, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. "Ruben’s been a big performer. Looking forward to him being a big part of the Padres organization for a long time."

"We're looking forward to him being a big part of the Padre organization," Preller said of Niebla.

Niebla joined the Padres as their pitching coach in Oct. 2021, and just completed his third season with the team. Under Niebla's lead in 2024, the Padres combined for a 3.86 ERA (12th) and 1,453 strikeouts (6th). Going into the postseason, the Padres had one of the hottest rotations in baseball with Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove all playing great. This pitching group helped the Padres return to the playoffs in 2024, and finish the season 93-69.

The Padres have prioritized keeping their coaching staff in place early this offseason. They recently extended manager Mike Shildt to a multi-year contract through 2027. The Padres promoted Shildt to become their manager after the departure of Bob Melvin last year. They signed him to a two-year contract, and his extension will keep him in San Diego for at least two more years.

San Diego officially announced the extension of Shildt earlier this week. Preller said in a statement: “As Mike demonstrated this year, he has an unwavering commitment to winning and a unique set of skills that got our group to perform at a high level. He possesses a true love for this team and the game of baseball, and I am thrilled to continue to work together with Mike to bring a championship to the City of San Diego.”

Shildt added: "I am honored to continue leading this team toward Peter Seidler's vision of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego."

With Shildt and Niebla locked up, the Padres have two of the most important pieces of their coaching staff secured for the next few seasons as San Diego pursues their first World Series title.