The Padres have promoted Damion Easley to hitting coach, the team announced. Additionally, Skip Schumaker will take over as the Padres’ associate manager and Rod Barajas will grab the reins as their catching and quality control coach.
Easley, a longtime major league infielder, served as the Padres’ assistant hitting coach/infield coach in 2019. It was the first season on a major league staff for the 50-year-old Easley.
Schumaker, an ex-major league utilityman, spent last season as the Padres’ first base coach. He then drew interest from the Mets as they sought a new manager this offseason, but they elected to hire Carlos Beltran instead. Now, with the Padres as another team with a rookie manager (Jayce Tingler), Schumaker has moved up in their pecking order to become an even more important assistant.
The Padres interviewed Barajas to take over as their next manager after they fired Andy Green, but he’s among several candidates who lost out to Tingler. Barajas, a former major league catcher, served in multiple roles for San Diego in 2019. He was the team’s bench coach before grabbing the reins as interim manager when it let go of Green toward the end of September.
lowtalker1
No assistant hitting coach
StandUpGuy
God the Padres are terrible. AJ Preller: “Why don’t we give $334 million to 2 guys. One of them will be a .260 something hitter that hits around 25 homers for us. The other will be a relief pitcher that has had half a good season. Seems worth it even though Wil Meyers and Eric Hosmer are already owed about $160 million.”
Man… That Preller is a certified genius, right? Who’s with me?!
VegasSDfan
With you? For complainer of the year, I’m in!
padresfan619
I will admit my ignorance: what does an “associate manager” exactly do? Is this the bench coach?
The only other adjacent role I can think of is doing QC but this position has been differentiated.
pads fan1980
No it’s not the bench coach and I was wondering the exact same thing what is an associate manager
depressedtribefan
I don’t recall any other team ever having an associate manager. I guess they’re just making up roles now. I dunno
partyatnapolis
assistant TO the manager lol
cvarneski
Came here to say this lol
lowtalker1
My guess is they are surrounding tingle berries with as much Brain power as possible
jorge78
Why even hire a manager with no brain?
SDHotDawg
“Associate manager?” I have never heard of such a thing. It almost sounds like Preller is making the classic fatal business mistake of trying to solve problem(s) by throwing more people at it.
From a player communication perspective, this sounds like the beginning of an organizational cluster####.
StandUpGuy
The associate manager is a manager that associates stuff. You didn’t get that? That’s why they pay them the big bucks.
bleacherbum
Padres now need to solidify their rotation. I think acquiring Kluber makes the most sense now more than ever seeing what pitchers are getting in FA. At 17.5M next year plus team option for 21’, it makes financial sense, especially if they can off-load some of Myers.
Deleted.User
LMAO and why would the Indians trade Kluber for Myers funny guy?
baseballanalytics
He definitely never said anything about a Kluber for Myers trade, two separate things… sheesh you need some new hobbies, you are cherry pickin’ my man
bleacherbum
Correct, it’s an insult to someone’s baseball IQ to suggest they are serious about a Kluber/Myers deal because that would never happen, never.
Yes, I have half a brain and know very well that it would take two transactions to make Kluber realistic.
1. Moving Myers to free-up the financial room.
2. Pony-up for Cleveland’s asking price which will hurt a little.
SDHotDawg
Kluber (and even Keuchel) keeps coming up almost every year, but there’s always nothing to it. Why would it be different this year.
Deleted.User
Indians probably value him more than they should too.
bobtillman
Soon, every MLB dugout will have (a) 26 active players (b) 4 guys on the IL (c) 37 coaches and (d) 4 guys who wear pocket protectors and sleep with their I-Pads.
SDHotDawg
Wrong. It’s 8 guys with pocket protectors who are hooked on Fortnite and never played catch with their dads.
barrybonds1994
What’s an associate manager
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
It started in basketball.. associate head coach. Gives the guy who used to be a head coach but hired as an assistant, a little ego boost. Mostly in college where it’s like head coach “A” and former head coach hired to be an assistant “1A.”
Deleted.User
What is an “Associate Manager?”
jorge78
Associate manager? Never heard of that one…..
Baseballhawaii
I think Schumaker is like a second bench coach, to be around in the dugout for a familiar face. The only guy familiar with some of the new coaches is Machado, who must have pushed for the Baltimore guys..
I commented before about the Pomeranz signing thinking that was a lot of money for an unproven reliever and still feel that way. Also don’t get the Profar signing. A 31 yr old guy who just hit .218 and couldn’t throw to first? AJ is no dummy and it’s a long time to Spring Training but I’d give him a C so far and C’s won’t get us to the post season. Gotta be something bigger coming.
bleacherbum
I could see NYY wanting to shed some salary if Cole is landed to a mega deal as rumored. A combination of Myers, Hedges and Lucchesi or Morejon could make sense for Hicks, Happ and Chance Adams. Padres would take on about $12 million in the transactions value. Not a huge hit, helps SD, get more LH in the OF and adds another couple playoff pedigree veterans.
Clears room for NYY. Myers takes Maybin’s at bats and can cut into Hicks missing spot. Hedges replaces Romine. Lucchesi is a controllable number 4-5 starter.
BillTheThrill10
Profar is 25 going on 26, not 31. That’s a huge difference there buddy. He also was rated the number one prospect in the world back in 2013. He still has a lot of upside left in him. All we have up was Austin Allen who was blocked by Hedges and Mejia anyways. It is a huge gamble and I do think we could of done better on the FA market for cheaper, there’s still a chance this could be a great move if and it’s a big IF, Profar puts it all together and has a career year during his walk year. Preller knows he’s on his last leg so if this year doesn’t work out, he’s gone.
Deleted.User
Wil Myers was also the top rated prospect in baseball once. Around the same time as Profar in fact. And the Padres don’t even have the upside of several years of cheap control if Profar magically delivers on his so-called upside. Allen could have been traded for someone else.
You and Preller can have hype boy.
SDHotDawg
You’re both wrong. Profar is 27.
SDHotDawg
Preller IS a dummy. He has yet to prove otherwise in 6 years. He should go back to scouting 16 year-old latin kids.
crazylarry
Who will be in the dugout next year when the Mgr and coaches get blown out by the new GM. No way does Preller survive after next years 76-86 finish? Especially after hiring Andy Greens twin and some of the moves he has already made.
MiserablePadreFan
Welcome to burger world how can I help you? Uhhhh I’m the assistant manager. Huhhuhuh. We have vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate. Huhuhhhuh
Hired Gun 23
Skip Schumaker is indeed the 2nd bench coach.
stevebaratta
Why don’t they just call it the “College of Coaches”?
Longboarder
Padres==Pathetic Chargers==Pathetic. Being a San Diego sports fan is grueling. I have been a Padres fan since ’69 and a Chargers fan since ’63. It ain’t easy.