The San Diego Padres announced the hire of Mike Shildt as their new manager, replacing Bob Melvin, who was allowed to leave the organization for the San Francisco Giants.
Shildt is the new Padres manager after spending the past two years in the organization. Shildt was a player development consultant in 2022, and worked as a senior advisor to player development and the Major League team this year.
“Mike is a proven winner as a manager at the Major League level, and he brings over two decades of experience in professional baseball to the position,” Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller said in a statement.
“In his time here, Mike has displayed a strong baseball intellect, a passion for teaching the game, and has established relationships with players and staff at both the minor and Major League levels. We believe that Mike is the right person to lead the Padres forward in our continued pursuit of a World Series championship.”
Prior to the Padres hiring Shildt, candidates for their managerial opening were reported as Phil Nevin, Ryan Flaherty and Benji Gil.
According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio, Adrián González was a finalist to become Padres manager as well:
Sources: Former #Padres first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez was one of the 3 finalists for SD managerial job. Padres decided to go with a more experienced manager in Mike Schildt.
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) November 21, 2023
González became an All-Star and MVP candidate over five seasons with the Padres, which led to signing a lucrative contract with the Boston Red Sox.
However, González’s time in Boston ended relatively quickly and he went on to become a fixture in the Los Angeles Dodgers after a landmark trade in August 2012.
González remained with the Dodgers through the 2017 season but was traded to the Atlanta Braves in December of that year. The Braves released González and he then signed with the New York Mets, but only appeared in 54 games during the 2018 season before retiring.
González has since maintained ties to the Dodgers, most notably representing them in the Home Run Derby X touring event and also joining the SportsNet LA broadcast team.
Adrian González on 2024 Hall of Fame ballot
González is among eight former Dodgers who are included on the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
The group also includes Adrián Beltré, Bobby Abreu, Andruw Jones, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramírez, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.
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