Padres Finalizing Massive Contract Extension With Manager Mike Shildt: Report

Shildt is reportedly re-signing with San Diego.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres are reportedly finalizing a contract extension with manager Mike Shildt, via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The contract extension is reportedly for two years through the 2027 season, and could even be officially announced on Wednesday.

The extension is not a surprise after Shildt led a re-invigorated Padres squad back to the postseason in 2024. Coming off a disappointing 2023 season in which the Padres didn't meet expectations and failed to make the playoffs, Shildt led the Padres team back to October baseball when not many believed they would return.

The Padres hired Shildt as their next manager last November, after Bob Melvin left the job to become the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Shildt signed on just a two-year deal, meaning that before this extension, he was not under contract after the 2025 season.

Under Shildt, the Padres went 93-69. They headed into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in baseball, and defeated the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card round. After, they took on the Los Angeles Dodgers, the eventual World Series champion, in the NL Division Series. Though the Padres lost the series, they had a 2-1 lead at one point and nearly came away with the victory. Even with the loss, the Padres still felt that they put a strong season together.

Padres general manager AJ Preller already indicated after the season that talks of an extension were taking place with Shildt.

“He obviously enjoys it here, wants to be here, but I know his focus also is just go get better,” Preller said in October, via Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “And if you do that, then I think he has a lot of trust and faith that things … from an organization standpoint, that we’ll figure some things out there.”

The extension for Shildt will keep him in San Diego for at least three more seasons total, and keep the Padres' leader in place as the team aims to bring home the franchise's first World Series title over the next few seasons. The extension also marks the first major move of the Padres' offseason, and likely will not be the last as the Padres work to bring in the pieces to put the team in better contention.