Hours after announcing his shocking decision to retire as manager of the San Diego Padres, Mike Shildt said in a phone interview that his deteriorating health and the stress of a high-profile job convinced him to walk away with two years remaining on a lucrative contract and no agreement to receive at least some of that remaining money. Meanwhile, in the industry, questions continued to swirl.
Had Shildt, the first Padres manager to oversee back-to-back 90-win seasons, resigned completely of his own accord? Four years after the St. Louis Cardinals cited “philosophical differences” when they fired Shildt as coach, did internal conflicts contribute to Shildt’s departure to San Diego? Was this part of a negotiated deal that would effectively allow Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller to part ways with a fifth full-time manager during his 11-year tenure? Will Preller, who only has one year left on his contract, receive full powers to select another dugout leader?
Speaking Monday evening, Shildt said he had just returned to San Diego after a week spent reflecting at home in North Carolina; he officially informed ownership and Preller of his decision Saturday, but he still needed to have final conversations with some members of the organization.
He then shared his version of an unusual story that should continue to arouse great curiosity in the weeks to come.
“These are narratives I can’t control,” Shildt said. “You know, people are going to say whatever they want. There’s always going to be some sort of speculation. I’m just tired and I want to go home, man. I’m at perfect peace with that.”
Shildt, 57, said he began thinking in late August about the possibility of retirement. The now former manager said that during last season he suffered from, among other things, sleep problems, chest pains, hair loss and, in the era of ubiquitous sports betting, even death threats from strangers. He added that after the Padres’ season-ending loss to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series, he told Preller he wanted to go home for a week to recharge and reflect.
According to Shildt, Preller – who is scheduled to speak to reporters via video conference on Tuesday – did not react with surprise. The general manager, Shildt said, could tell he was “exhausted.”
“I don’t want people to think I left the company, that I wasn’t committed or that I wasn’t doing my job,” Shildt said. “No, it’s not. I tell myself, and I’ve done it since the first day of this job, whatever the level… I go from bell to bell. I’m going to give it my all. Because I owe it to the team and the players. So, I did it.
“But I can tell you, I was sick a lot. I just didn’t feel good. I was exhausted. And I wasn’t sleeping. And it’s no one’s fault. It’s just everyday stress. But, you know, it’s just unhealthy, man, and sometimes you just gotta take care of yourself, you know?”
Shildt will finish his time in San Diego with a 183-141 record spread over two seasons, including back-to-back playoff berths. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Shildt said he intended to retire at his beach house in North Carolina, with no plans to seek another major league job in the near future.
“Never say never,” Shildt said. “But I have no desire to be in that big chair any time soon. I’m going to enjoy a quality of life that I haven’t enjoyed in my entire life.”
He said he will be paid through the end of this month under the terms of the three-year contract extension he received last offseason. According to Shildt, that would be the extent of what he would receive in a deal that multiple team sources say would pay him at least $2 million per year.
“I was fortunate to earn the money I did in the game,” said Shildt, who began his career in professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals and later became a minor league manager. “But damn, I gotta tell you, man, I was never motivated by money.”
Shildt, for his part, denied that conflict with Preller or other members of the organization led to his decision. Although the two men had a closer working relationship than Preller and Shildt’s predecessor, Bob Melvin, people within the organization said their closeness was also a factor in regular disagreements.
“What I liked about AJ is that you can have a very honest, healthy, transparent conversation with AJ,” Shildt said. “It’s for our greater good to win baseball games. So, I enjoy that with him, and I’ll always be grateful that he gives me this opportunity. And my only regret is that I wasn’t able to help realize the vision of Mr. (Peter) Seidler and AJ and the passionate fans of this organization to win a World Series.
“That’s my only regret.”
Seidler, the late Padres owner, died in November 2023, about two years after Shildt joined the organization as a player development consultant. Shildt gradually took on a larger role, including assisting Melvin’s coaching staff, before Melvin was allowed to interview for the San Francisco Giants management position. After Melvin’s departure, Shildt was eventually named manager in place of then-offensive coordinator Ryan Flaherty, who would remain one of Preller’s favorites.
Flaherty, now a Cubs bench coach, is expected to be considered again for the manager’s job in San Diego, league sources said. Some of the same sources predict other candidates to include Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, bench coach Brian Esposito, special assistants Scott Servais and AJ Ellis and former Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin.
Multiple team sources said former Padres manager Bruce Bochy, 70, is not expected to be a serious candidate to return to San Diego.
Current pitching coach Ruben Niebla is expected to be one of several candidates for management. (Elsa/Getty Images)
However, without Seidler’s support, Preller’s ability to be another manager’s primary decision-maker remains in question. The executive is in the penultimate year of his contract — while Shildt was extended last winter, not Preller — and a source with knowledge of the situation said that as of last week, Preller had yet to have substantive conversations with owners about a possible extension.
Meanwhile, Shildt’s decision to retire — whether entirely voluntary or not — surprised some players and other team members. Shildt was 183-141 with San Diego and 252-199 overall since becoming Cardinals manager in 2018.
Other members of the organization were not as stunned. After the Padres’ first-round elimination this month, some staffers were uncertain about the futures of Preller and Shildt.
Over the weekend, at least one answer to the unknowns emerged. Although some questions will linger, Shildt said Monday he’s “really, really grateful but… very, very happy.”
“I just looked up, and man, I’m 57,” he said. “You talk to (Tony La Russa) and (Torey Lovullo) and (Jim Leyland) and (Ron Washington) and (Bochy) and (Terry Francona), and it starts to take its toll, man. Those guys have all had real physical problems.
“I’m coming out of a great situation. I mean, nothing’s perfect. It’s not perfect, but I had a general manager who was passionate, caring and wants to win, and I can’t ask for much more than that. I had a great pitching coach and a great hitting coach and a very strong staff and support staff. And most importantly, I had a great group of guys, a great group of very talented players.
“I had to look in the mirror and ask myself if I was really ready to go through that again and what it took to get 90 wins and the playoffs,” Shildt added. “And I couldn’t say yes.”
