Padres News: Managerial Search Progressing
It is no secret that the San Diego Padres are interviewing many different candidates for their managerial position. This will be the first time in over nine years that the team will interview new potential managers, and they are rightfully taking their time in doing so.
D-Backs Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, ESPN baseball analyst Alex Cora, D-Backs third-base coach Andy Green, Special Advisor in Padres player development Moises Alou, Pirates third-base coach Rick Sofield, Angels assistant G.M. Scott Servais, Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire have all reportedly been interviewed or will be interviewed by the team.
Only Gardenhire has previous managerial experience at the Major League level. There are also reports the team will interview hitting-coach Mark Kotsay and bench-coach Dave Roberts for the position as well. Both Kotsay and Roberts are very familiar with the current roster but it’s not clear if each have the managerial skill the Padres covet.
Ron Washington, Tim Flannery, Ozzie Guillen, Jason Varitek and Sandy Aomar Jr. have all been rumored to be candidates. There was a report that Dusty Baker asked about the Padres position, but the team declined. The position of manager for the Padres is in high demand. The ownership group is looking to spend some money and the team is determined to succeed. We will see which direction the team goes in terms of manager.
A.J. Preller has already indicated he does not want too many candidates, as he put it “There gets to be a point where if you have too many names, it’s not productive”. With that being said it is really not clear if the team intends to interview more candidates or if they will just choose from what they have.
One thing is clear when it comes to the new managers duty. He will need to change the culture of the Padres from an average team into a team that continually competes. There are plenty of talented players on the roster, it is really a matter of motivating the group and having them play as one cohesive unit. Not an easy task, but the new skipper must have genuine leadership skills.
A.J. Preller has indicated that once first interviews are conducted on all managerial candidates, the team will sit down and evaluate. After the evaluations the front office will call back a select group for a second interview and go from there. It is not clear if the team has reached the second interview process yet, but they are progressing in their search.
Once the World Series has completed, the Padres will be in full effect in their managerial search. Things will progress very quickly after that as the team has some roster moves that need to be made. The new manager will likely have a say in which direction the team goes in terms of players. Friar fans are hoping for a new era of Padres baseball. The new manager will have a tough task, but the team is headed in the right direction.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.