It perhaps should be music to Padre fans’ ears. If chemistry, or the lack thereof, was as much of an issue between top management and the clubhouse as was speculated last year, things could be different in 2024.
New skipper Mike Shildt, speaking to the media on the day he was named the Friars’ manager, showed a comfort level with A.J. Preller, the Padres’ president of baseball operations.
“We’re equally yoked,” Shildt told MLB.com. “That doesn’t mean we always have to agree, but we always have each other’s back, which is very important.”
Their relationship has been tried and tested, as Shildt has worked for the team as a senior adviser since he left St. Louis following the 2021 season. As manager in St. Louis, he compiled a 252-199 record, leading the team to a 2019 division win in National League Central.
“His communication with players and his style is very open and transparent … The game’s about winning, and Mike’s done a ton of winning,” Preller told MLB.com, of the team’s decision to elevate Shildt to the top job.
The Padres are clearly ready to win. They thought 2023 was the year to make a statement in the National League West, but they finished just two games over .500, leaving many observers questioning how a team with so much talent could have foundered.
Shildt called the group he will manage “high-level, high-performing, exceptional talents,” who he added, are “super hungry.”
With owner Peter Seidler gone for a week, he was very much on Shildt’s and Preller’s minds during the introductory news conference. Shildt specifically mentioned honoring Seidler’s “vision” to guide the team to “a first World Series championship for the San Diego Padres and the city of San Diego.”
“And I’m really excited about it,” he said. “That’ll be one way we can remember the great legacy of Peter Seidler.”
