It's been an hour since the San Diego Padres shared Mike Shildt's decision to retire as the team's manager, and USA Today's Bob Nightengale has already come up with the list of names fitting to replace the former NL Manager of the Year.
Nightengale posted the list of potential candidates on X, which included Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, former Angels manager Phil Nevin, Padres special assistant AJ Ellis, Padres special assistant Scott Servais and former Padres manager and future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy.
Candidates to become Padres next manager:
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 13, 2025
Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty.
Former Angels manager Phil Nevin.
Padres special assistant AJ Ellis.
Padres special assistant Scott Servais.
And yes, former Padres manager and future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy. https://t.co/BLfOcGsEVs
Shildt is the only man in the last two decades of Padres who has been able to lead the team to back-to-back postseasons. Thus, anyone replacing him will get his hands on a team that can take anyone on in the National League.
But with the role comes the added pressure of navigating through ownership conflicts and the general manager in AJ Preller, who spends conservatively in the offseason.
Also Read: Why Mike Shildt retired after two seasons as Padres manager? Resignation letter revealed
Scott Servais has the best overall fit to replace Mike Shildt at Padres
Among all the candidates mentioned by Bob Nightengale, Scott Servais has the best fit. Whenever a manager resigns, the first step is to always look at internal options before going outside.
The Padres hired Servais as a special assistant for player development in January before the 2025 season. He has previously managed the Seattle Mariners for nearly a decade (2016-2024), posting a 668-624 record with them. However, the club only made the playoffs once.
The Padres have built quite the culture in that clubhouse under the leadership of star players like Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, and Fernando Tatis Jr. They need someone whom they can openly speak to, and Servais is exactly the type of guy who would fit right in.
It remains to be seen how AJ Preller charts the rest of the offseason, finding the right candidate to replace Mike Shildt before making key free agency decisions.
Read More: Padres' Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. face déjà vu after Mike Shildt steps down