Mike

Shildt

Murphy, who helped spearhead a dramatic second-half turnaround to lead Milwaukee back to the postseason in his managerial debut, takes home the honors after receiving 27 of 30 first-place votes in balloting. Padres skipper Mike Shildt came in second and Mets rookie manager Carlos Mendoza finished third in balloting.

The Padres have yet to officially announce the deal. Padres’ general manager AJ Preller spoke very highly of Niebla shortly after the season ended, noting, “We’re going to reward the people that perform... Ruben’s been a big performer. Looking forward to him being a big part of the Padres organization for a long time.” Under the three seasons in which Niebla has been in charge of the Padres’ pitching staff, they have ranked near the top of the league in all major pitching categories.

It’s a two-year extension for Shildt, who helped lead San Diego back to the postseason last year in his first season at the helm, finishing the regular season with a strong 93-69 record. The 56-year-old skipper received a two-year deal when he was hired last November to take over after Bob Melvin left for the division-rival Giants.

Machado and manager Mike Shildt were both ejected after Machado objected — correctly — to a called strike. It’s unlikely that either will face suspension.

The 61-year-old served as an assistant hitting coach with the Guardians from 2017-2023. Before that, he worked in the same role with the Red Sox from 2013-2017. He’ll be helped out by assistant hitting coaches Oscar Bernard and Scott Coolbaugh who will remain on the Padres’ staff despite the managerial change.

It’s a two-year contract for Shildt, who managed the Cardinals for four seasons from 2018-2021 — going 252-199 (.559) overall — before spending the last two years as a senior advisor with the Padres. The 55-year-old skipper takes over at the helm for San Diego following last month’s sudden departure of Bob Melvin to the division-rival Giants. He inherits a squad that appears to be in the midst of a transitional phase, especially from a roster composition and overall payroll standpoint, following a brutally disappointing 2023 campaign. However, there’s still plenty of talent left on the current roster for the Padres to contend next season in a loaded NL West division.

Shildt takes over at the helm for the Padres following last month’s departure of Bob Melvin to the division-rival Giants. He spent four years as manager of the Cardinals, going 252-199 (559) from 2018-2021. That was his only other managerial tenure in the big leagues. The 55-year-old skipper has worked as a senior advisor to San Diego’s baseball operations department for the last two seasons.

Gil has worked on the Angels’ coaching staff the last two seasons and also served earlier this year as the manager for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. The 51-year-old, who spent eight years in the majors between the Rangers and Angels from 1993-2003, would be a first-time manager, if the Padres elect to put him at the helm. The organization has also reportedly expressed interest in Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza, while Mike Shildt and Ryan Flaherty are considered the top internal candidates to fill the void.

Ryan Flaherty’s turn is set to come Friday. Those in the know expect one of the two internal candidates to get the job, though the Padres will go through the process of interviewing others. Given A.J. Preller’s lack of success with managers, it’d make sense to dig a bit deeper.

Katie Woo and Dennis Lin of The Athletic add that Mike Shildt and Ryan Flaherty are the leading internal candidates to fill the Padres’ sudden managerial vacancy. Melvin heads to San Francisco to replace Gabe Kapler after spending the previous two years at the held for San Diego, leading the franchise to a 171-153 record and just one playoff appearance during that span. The 61-year-old skipper, who has taken home Manager of the Year honors three times in his career, has two decades of managerial experience between the Padres, Athletics, Diamondbacks and Mariners, dating back to 2003.