Mark Loretta

The Padres are hiring longtime big leaguer and former Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta as a special assistant to CEO Erik Greupner, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network. This is a homecoming for Loretta, as he had previously spent a decade working for the Padres, from his retirement from playing in 2010 until joining the Cubs in 2019.

Loretta, 50, played in the majors for 15 seasons from 1995 to 2009. He made his debut with the Brewers and played parts of eight seasons with Milwaukee, before also spending some time with the Astros, Padres, Red Sox and Dodgers. Overall, he played 1,726 MLB games, hitting .295/.360/.395 with a paltry strikeout rate of just 9.2%. He was worth 18.9 wins above replacement in his career, according to FanGraphs. He was selected to participate in the All-Star Game in both 2004 and 2006.

He retired from playing after the 2009 season and joined the Padres as a special assistant to the baseball operations staff, staying in that role until taking the bench coach job with the Cubs in 2019. After that season, Joe Maddon departed as manager of the Cubs, with Loretta rumored to be in the running to be Maddon’s replacement, as well as being a candidate for the Padres’ managerial opening. Those jobs eventually went to David Ross and Jayce Tingler, respectively. As Ross was a first-time manager, Andy Green was brought on as the bench coach to give Ross an experienced bench boss by his side, leaving Loretta as an odd man out.

Loretta will now return to the Padres, an organization that he spent time with both as a player and a special assistant. Erik Greupner was the team’s president of business operations until general manager A.J. Preller was extended and promoted to be president of baseball operations almost a year ago, with Greupner also getting bumped up the ladder from president to CEO.

18:45 pm: San Diego Union-Tribune scribe Kevin Acee cautions that Loretta’s late entry into the interview pool was mostly the result of previous scheduling issues, and the club’s sit-down with the former second baseman is not expected to lead to his hiring (link). Although the club met with Loretta on Saturday, GM AJ Preller traveled to the Dominican Republic on Monday and met with Jayce Tingler, whom Acee still characterizes as the favorite for the job. According to Acee, Preller has been described as consistently “pushing” Tingler, a position somewhat at odds with San Diego players and ownership figures who would prefer a more experienced candidate.

10:16 am: In a bit of a surprise, the Padres “very recently” interviewed Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta for their managerial vacancy, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Friars were believed to be down to Braves third base coach Ron Washington and Rangers Field Coordinator Jayce Tingler, but Loretta could perhaps have cracked the door open for a change in direction.

Washington and Tingler remain the favorites, Heyman notes, so perhaps this is simple due diligence on San Diego’s part. That said, Loretta worked in San Diego’s front office for almost a decade before taking over as Chicago’s bench coach this season, so he no doubt has strong ties to many people who will ultimately make the final decision.

Loretta is more well-known for his 15-year MLB playing career. He logged over 1,000 innings at each infield position in a career that took him to five different organizations, including a three-year run in San Diego, where he was most productive. Loretta has no managerial experience and is relatively new to the coaching ranks, but his combination of playing and front office experience makes him a natural candidate for interviews. Loretta was previously in the running for the Cubs’ managerial job, which went to his former teammate David Ross.

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