On Wednesday, the San Diego Padres declined to allow Triple-A manager Pat Murphy to leave the organization for a major-league coaching job with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The move was regarded as unusual, considering that the move to the Brewers would have constituted as a promotion for Murphy.
While it’s possible the Padres just wanted to hold onto a valued employee, rival MLB executives believe there were some ulterior motives to the move.
“(Murphy) must have been made promises — big ones,” the executive said to Fox Sports.
Questions about Bud Black’s job security have surfaced due to missing the playoffs his first eight seasons as manager.
With general manager A.J. Preller’s facelift of the team over the offseason, pressure to go to the playoffs are at an all-time high for the Friars skipper.
The Padres claim, though, that losing their Triple-A manager at this juncture in the season would be “chaotic,” and that he can wait to join the Brewers in September when the minor-league season ends.
Although, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports notes, it’s not uncommon for teams to shake up their coaching staffs mid-season.
Murphy has spent many years coaching college baseball for Notre Dame from 1988-1994 and Arizona State from 1995-2009.
Interest from the Brewers surfaced when Craig Counsell—played for Murphy at Notre Dame— was hired as the team’s manager.
Murphy has been an employee with the Padres since 2010 when he was hired on as a special assistant.
