As the San Diego Padres close the book on yet another disappointing season that sees them finish below .500 and behind everyone except the Colorado Rockies in the National League West division, their future is brighter than most teams that sit around 30 games back of the lead in their division.
The core of this team is locked up for the foreseeable future, as both Eric Hosmer and Manny Machado are locked up until their age-36 seasons, having just recently signed long-term deals. With these two holding down the corners in the infield, this team has the right pieces in the right areas for a rebuilding team on the cusp of getting back into contention.
This marked the first season for Machado as a Friar, and he faced a bunch of criticism for his lack of effort and subsequent care that he put into playing at times. Putting up another 30 home run, 80+ RBI season is essentially what Machado brings to the table every season, but there are still plenty of concerning elements to his game every night.
For Hosmer, the Padres are the second team that he has been on, and his second season in San Diego was much better than his first. A bit healthier, the former third overall selection by the Kansas City Royals is a great veteran presence that this youthful team needs, especially as the lights get brighter and the expectations get loftier for this franchise.
Former manager Andy Green, who was relieved of his duties on Sept. 21, led this team to where they are at after four seasons at the helm. Green was able to relate to his players and help progress this team to being on the doorstep of finally providing a bit of competition for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are just steamrolling over everyone in the west every single year.
Rumors have begun to circulate about who may be on the short-list for general manager A.J. Preller, and there have been two very interesting names that have popped up right away that Padres fans will know.
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who is making his 2019 season his last as the team’s manager, and former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who has not managed a team since he retired after the 2018 season, are both noted to be on the first version of the list. While both are older managers and have already retired or are going to be retiring very shortly, the Padres seem to be going away from the trend of hiring the young analytical-minded manager and wanting to go back to the traditional-style manager.
Both Bochy and Scioscia should be considered long shots to be manning the bench for the Friars when their 2020 season opens up, but Bochy would be more likely than Scioscia, especially since Scioscia was an Angel through and through (making it hard to see him coming back for a different team) and Bochy is very familiar with both the front office and the Padres team in general. Bochy also played for and managed this team many, many moons ago, and with him currently living in San Diego, the arrows point to him more than fans may want to admit.
When Green was fired, bench coach Rod Barajas was moved into the interim role, and the former MLB catcher is seen as a likely candidate for the position too, having been with this team already as a coach and having created relationships with the players. While Barajas would be similar to Green in a sense that San Diego would provide him with his first career head managerial job, Barajas has a ton of experience having played the game, so he can hopefully relate better to the players and help establish that desired line of communication that the front office so desperately sought from their manager.
Other candidates for this job could include Mark Loretta, who is currently serving as the Chicago Cubs’ bench coach and is likely the top candidate to replace Joe Maddon if/when he is let go, Pat Murphy, who has been the Milwaukee Brewers bench coach for the past four seasons, and Joe Girardi, who has been out of managing for a few seasons but is one of those names that would excite fans.
Loretta played for the Padres, Murphy coached the Padres in an interim role as well as all throughout their minor-league system, and Girardi is someone who would provide an experienced presence in that clubhouse, especially in the department of helping manage big personalities like that of Machado.
There have been other options floated around, like Moises Alou, Maddon (if he is let go), Ron Washington, and even Carlos Beltran, so it seems like the team is just throwing out names and throwing darts to set up meetings or just show their interest. Alou has no managerial experience, everyone knows about Maddon, Washington is currently in Atlanta but was very up and down with the Texas Rangers, and Beltran has no prior managerial experience and is currently a special advisor for the New York Yankees.
Outside of those candidates, there are a number of up-and-coming options that are scattered throughout the league, either currently as first/third base coaches, bench coaches or even minor-league managers who are ready to make that leap to the big level. The Padres will have their pick of the managerial crop this winter, and it is up to Preller and his team to make sure that the choice that they make is going to help push this team over the edge.
The Padres are one of those teams that have the vast majority of pieces in place, and they just need a few more to finalize their climb back into postseason contention. A strong, confident and knowledgeable manager will be one of the final pieces for this team, and this offseason will be a huge determinant on how well this team does in 2020 and beyond.
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