Padres, Manager Mike Shildt Finalizing Contract Extension

The Padres are finalizing an extension with manager Mike Shildt that’ll keep him in San Diego through 2027, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller told reporters last month that the team would look to work out a new deal with their skipper, who signed a two-year contract when he was hired over the 2023-24 offseason.

San Diego tasked Shildt with stabilizing the clubhouse after Bob Melvin’s departure. Tension between Melvin and Preller reportedly played a role in the former’s decision to leave the Padres and take the managerial role in San Francisco. The Padres considered a few external candidates but opted to turn the reins to Shildt, who had been in the player development department for the preceding two seasons.

That came on a relatively short two-year commitment. Shildt oversaw an excellent rebound year after the Friars had underperformed during Melvin’s final season. The Padres went 93-69 to secure the top Wild Card spot in the National League. They won 11 more games than they had in ’23 despite trading Juan Soto and losing Blake Snell, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Nick Martinez in free agency.

It’s certainly not all a testament to the managerial change. The front office hit on the Soto return that landed Michael King and indirectly enabled them to acquire Dylan Cease. The Jurickson Profar signing was probably the best value pickup of the offseason. Jackson Merrill had a fantastic rookie year. The Padres also simply played better in one-run and extra-inning contests after faring terribly in those regards during the previous season.

All that said, it’s not hard to see why the Padres are making a longer commitment to Shildt after that season. San Diego played fantastic ball down the stretch and proved the Dodgers’ biggest challenge on their championship run. The Padres pushed L.A. to the brink of elimination in the Division Series after sweeping the Braves in the Wild Card round. Their season ended on a sour note, as Dodger pitching shut them out in consecutive games to win the series, but that was by far the closest anyone came to threatening Los Angeles. Seeing the Dodgers fairly easily knock off the Mets and Yankees to win the World Series hammers home how close the Padres were to fielding a championship-caliber roster in their own right.

Before landing in San Diego, Shildt spent three-plus seasons managing the Cardinals. He led St. Louis to a pair of 90-win campaigns and three straight playoff appearances between 2019-21. The Cards surprisingly moved on from him after the ’21 season, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak citing philosophical differences between Shildt and the front office. The 56-year-old has been fortunate to work with talented rosters, but his teams have posted excellent results at both stops. Shildt carries a career 345-268 managerial record, resulting in a .563 win percentage that translates to a roughly 91-win pace over a full season.

Image courtesy of Imagn.