The Padres reportedly have former Angels manager Phil Nevin among the finalists for their managerial position, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Nevin, 52, was hired as third base coach in Anaheim prior to the 2022 season but became the club’s interim manager early in June of that year following the firing of Joe Maddon. Nevin continued as the club’s interim manager for the remainder of the season and the club decided to retain him in the role for 2023. Ultimately, however, the sides parted ways at the conclusion of the regular season. Anaheim found their replacement for Nevin last week, hiring Ron Washington away from his role as third base coach for the Braves.
Upon former Padres manager Bob Melvin’s departure to manage the division rival Giants, Nevin quickly became a candidate linked to San Diego’s managerial vacancy. Reports indicated late last week that Nevin had interviewed with the Padres for the role, and now Morosi’s report places Nevin as a potential finalist for the position. That being said, Nevin is far from the only finalist with a chance to be San Diego’s next manager. A pair of internal candidates in bench coach Ryan Flaherty and senior advisor Mike Shildt interviewed for the position shortly after Melvin’s departure and have long been seen as likely favorites to ultimately land the role. Shildt, in particular, has been linked to the role very frequently in recent weeks as an experienced skipper with four seasons at the helm of the Cardinals under his belt.
More from around MLB’s West divisions…
- The Giants have reportedly settled on a new bullpen coach to replace outgoing coach Craig Albernaz, who was recently hired away by the Guardians. Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco has decided upon Garvin Alston for the role. Alston, 51, was drafted as a player by the Rockies in the 10th round of the 1992 draft and spent eight seasons pitching in the minors, eventually briefly cracking Colorado’s big league roster during the 1996 season. Since retiring from his playing career, Alston has served in a variety of coaching roles in Oakland’s organization, including as bullpen coach, in addition to spending the 2018 season as pitching coach for the Twins.
- The Angels have begun to assemble a coaching staff under the newly-hired Washington, though despite suggestions to the contrary 19-year big league veteran Torii Hunter will not be joining that staff. Speaking to reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the LA Times), Hunter confirmed that he interviewed for the managerial position prior to Washington’s hiring and that the club subsequently reached out to gauge his interest in coaching, but that he declined to be considered for a coaching role. Nonetheless, Hunter spoke effusively of the Angels, noting that he would have been excited by the “challenge” of managing the Angels through what figures to be a difficult 2024 season, particularly if they are unable to retain franchise face Shohei Ohtani.
- While Hunter won’t be coaching for the Angels in 2024, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote recently that former Astros manager Bo Porter is a candidate to join the club’s coaching staff. While Porter’s hypothetical role on the staff is unclear, Porter has plenty of experience from his time as a big leaguer with the Cubs, A’s, and Rangers to his time as third base coach with the Diamondbacks, Marlins, Nationals, and Braves to his two seasons managing in Houston, though those Astros clubs struggled to a 110-190 record under his guidance. As Heyman notes, Porter has connections to Washington both from his time as a player in Oakland and also from his time on the coaching staff and in the front office with Atlanta.
- The A’s announced their coaching staff for the 2024 season today, with a pair of new faces on the staff: Bobby Crosby, who won the AL Rookie of the Year award with Oakland back in 2004 and more recently has served as a manager in the minor leagues, as well as Dan Hubbs, who previously served as director of pitching development for the Tigers from 2020-21 and as a minor league coach with the A’s this past season. Crosby is replacing Mike Aldrete as first base coach as Aldrete moves into a hitting coach role, while Hubbs will replace Mike McCarthy as bullpen coach.
So Hunter is holding out for a manager’s job apparently.
He made over 170 million in his career id say he can pretty much do whatever he wants at this point in life lol
It looked to me like he was being groomed as a future manger. Two years under Washington and the job could’ve been his.
I share the same opinion. He didn’t want to do the groundwork.
Under such circumstances, I don’t him .
Halo11Fan- I think it might just be that Hunter might enjoy working with both the Angels as well as the Twinns young players in spring. He might be willing if he was manager to give up his time with the Twinns.
A quote from a media report was him basically scoffing at the idea of being 1st base coach, as though that was beneath him. Everyone has to work their way up, even former All Star players.
In the past decade or so Mike Matheny, Aaron Boone, David Ross, Carlos Beltran*, Brad Ausmus and Craig Counsell have all been hired despite never having previously served on a MLB coaching staff.
And more recently – Stephen Vogt
Yes very true, but those are the exceptions. The pathway to a big league dugout is usually experience.
I haven’t researched them, but Council was very involved with the big league team. What exactly were these ex-players doing.
Hunter isn’t very involved.
I think he will be holding out for a very long time. If he is not willing to apprentice and learn the ropes no one will be willing to take a chance on someone that has never coached at any level.
Peller is running a clown show in San Diego. I feel bad for the brainwashed Padre fans who think he’s God.
No fan thinks he’s “God or even “Good”. He’s got one supporter as far as I can tell. However, that gentleman has the only real say on Prellers status and likes Preller. Peter Seidler is more appropriately a hero to San Diego. He’s who we like so we put up with Preller.
I was here long before Preller and I’ll be here long after. That’s the case for all of us Padres fans. If the clown show gets to be too much, turn off the Padres and go outside. It’s San Diego.
@i fought in stuff,
I’m a Giants fan but I work down here a couple times a year including on this gorgeous day, I have family here and spent 10 years at Miramar living between La mesa and Carlsbad. I’ve been to pet o park a couple dozen times and your right. I go there to watch a last place Padres team play the Pirates and the place is packed, it’s such a gorgeous experience that I would literally pay to watch a little league game there. As far as cities go they all have their issues but having lived in SF Austin and New Orleans and traveled to every major city and most the minor ones in the western 26 states there is nothing like San Diego. It’s not even a contest. The best part about it though isn’t even the weather, the people here are the nicest you will find anywhere in the U.S. it’s expensive for a reason.
First, I’m not a Padres’ fan. And, I’ve been a critic of Preller in the past, mostly due to my opinion of their long term, where I wonder where they’ll be when they have former superstars, past their prime, but still being paid superstar money.
I’ve liked a lot of his moves; the initial signing of Machado, the Soto trade, and signing Kim. I certainly don’t fault him for spending money, or prospect capital. I haven’t liked others; Bogaerts, Carpenter, and Cruz.
But recently those closer to the everyday workings of the team, have posted stories of Preller wanting a different manager, but being overruled by Seidler. And, the Bogaerts deal also being driven by Seidler, which makes me reassess.
I don’t think I can have a proper opinion of Preller if he has an owner choosing a manager over his head, and making deals on his own. I don’t know if any of that is true, but if it is, then Preller hasn’t been able to manage with autonomy. And that’s what every PBO should have.
Right, the owner is the problem, but not for the reason you listed. The owner wants people to think of the Padres as a big time team, but giving a guy this much leash because you like him like a son is not good business. He’s an enabler, if anything. There’s no doubt looking at Preller’s history that he was on board with the Bogaerts deal.
My point was an owner has to let his GM/PBO run the team. If not, it’s impossible to accurately assess what he’s done. Preller may be a terrible PBO, but until I know which moves were his and which weren’t I’ll reserve my opinion.
I know Seidler comes from a baseball family, but his expertise is in private equity, not baseball. Owners willing to spend are great, but meddling owners, just muddy the water.
The Kemp for Grandal trade was probably the worst of the century so far. Just mind-bendingly awful
the Bogaerts deal was all Preller.
I don’t know that, and unless you were there during the entire process neither do you. Saying it was Preller doesn’t make it so. Padres’ fans have posted that Seidler was behind the Bogaerts deal. I have no idea if that’s true, but rumors sometimes have a foundation in truth.
But my point is as long as the owner interferes with the work of the PBO, the situation is muddled. They could still win it next year, but the owner being involved as much as he’s rumored to be makes doing that more difficult .
Preller was responsible for Bogaerts. Seidler was responsible for the Machado extension.
Again, just saying so doesn’t make it so. Your post is no different than those of Padres’ fans that say differently. I don’t know what’s the truth, and unless you have some evidence to the contrary that remains.
Torii is one of my all time favorite players. Was really hoping to see his trademark smile and laugh in Tempe again.
Him scaling to the top of the wall robbing Bonds of an ASG homerun and then them both goofing around together is one of my favorite memories.
Is it struggling if you are actively tanking?
Ohtani can get a 2/120 with an opt out
I believe you’re correct. I wonder how many teams would be willing to do that. Probably more than a few.
None unless year 1 is only 30 mil since hes not pitching
I swear if Nevin ends up with the Skipper gig that just goes to show how big of a yes man the front office is looking for.
Preller needed to go and still needs to go! Everyday he stays in the organization is as many days away they Padres are from getting things back on track.
If you haven’t followed Nevin’s tenure as Angels manager you should. You might be pleasantly surprised at his performance. Guys don’t become finalists for poor performance.
Reread my post…never mentioned his performance but since you did, how did he do any better than Maddon would have? He’s not a #1 or even #2 guy. Nevin would be eaten alive by that clubhouse.
Maddon should have never been fired. The losing streak continued under Nevin, who ended up leading the team to two loser seasons. I think it was a personal beef between Maddon and Moreno. My guess is Maddon probably wanted to manage instead of follow orders.
If Nevin is the best you can get, just trade away the talent on the field. Of those interviewing, he would be the last one that should be chosen to manage.
Sweet baby jesus NO!
Nevin to the Pads is going to be insane. Better cue up the Benny Hill music in advance.