The San Diego Padres and manager Mike Shildt are parting ways, the team confirmed Monday. Shildt reportedly informed the team that he was retiring on Saturday, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune.
In a statement, the Padres congratulated Shildt on his career and his accomplishments with the team. In two seasons with the Padres, Shildt, 57, put up a .565 winning percentage while leading the team to the postseason both years.
The Padres will begin searching for a new manager immediately, the team announced.
Despite the team’s regular-season excellence under Shildt, the Padres fell short in the playoffs both times. The team failed to advance past the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series in 2024 and could not push past the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card series this year.
Shildt sent a letter to the San Diego Tribune confirming his retirement. In it, he said the job took “a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally.” He added, “It’s time I take care of myself and exit on my terms.”
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Prior to joining the Padres, Shildt — after many seasons in the game — got his first managerial opportunity with the St. Louis Cardinals. He originally served as the team’s interim manager in 2018 after Mike Matheny was fired.
The team rallied down the stretch, going 41-28 under Shildt. Before the 2018 season was over, the Cardinals named Shildt the full-time manager. He spent the next three seasons with St. Louis, making the playoffs each year.
Despite winning 90 games in 2021, however, Shildt was fired by the Cardinals over “philosophical differences.” He finished his tenure with the team with a .559 winning percentage.
Following his stint with the Cardinals, Shildt spent two years away from managing before he took the San Diego job. In those two seasons, he served as a consultant with the Padres.
Shildt leaves the game with a career .561 winning percentage after six seasons as a manager. While he doesn’t have the longevity of some of the game’s most successful managers, that .561 winning percentage is tied for 27th on the all-time list.
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