The San Diego Padres are set to interview Ryan Flaherty and Mike Shildt to replace manager Bob Melvin, according to Dennis Lin of the Athletic.

‘Mike Shildt is expected to interview for the Padres' managerial opening tomorrow, sources tell me and @Britt_Ghiroli. Ryan Flaherty's interview is scheduled for Friday.' 

Flaherty, a former infielder with the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Cleveland Indians, has been a bench coach with the Padres since 2020.

Shildt is currently the San Diego Padres senior advisor for player development, but has four years of MLB managerial experience, leading the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018-2021. In 2019, his first full season with the franchise, Schildt was named NL Manager of the Year after leading the Cardinals to 90 wins and first place in the NL Central. In 2021, he led the team to a 17-game win streak – their longest in 20 years – before the Cardinals announced he would not return in 2022.

Both men are aiming to replace former skipper Bob Melvin, who is leaving the team to become the new coach of the San Francisco Giants.

There were rumors of tension between Melvin and Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller last season. Melvin didn't want to address those in his introductory statements:

“I really don't want to get too much into the San Diego situation other than the fact that I really enjoyed my time there. Some things transpired last year in a difficult year for the team with expectations.”

Now the Padres sit at a crossroads after a difficult season. With a projected 2024 payroll of more than $200 million, the team has a choice to make: Do they go with Flaherty – someone younger who is familiar with clubhouse dynamics and has worked with their top hitters? Or do they look toward the experienced Schildt – someone who may have more traditional views on running a team but has demonstrable success at the MLB level?