Mike Shildt's sudden retirement as San Diego Padres manager might have come as a shock to many, but for Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., it was déjà vu.
By the time the 2026 season comes around, Machado and Tatis Jr. will have entered their eighth season together with the Padres, yet they still haven’t had a manager stay longer than two years. The Padres’ star tandem has seen constant leadership changes, and NBC San Diego's Darnay Tripp shared this interesting trend:
Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. will enter their eight season together with the Padres, without playing for a single manager for more than two years during that time.
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) October 13, 2025
Really thought Shildt would be the end of that trend.
Shild's retirement decision was surprising since he just signed an extension in November 2024. In his resignation letter, he said:
"The grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally. While it has always been about serving others, it's time I take care of myself and exit on my terms."
Also Read: Why Mike Shildt retired after two seasons as Padres manager? Resignation letter revealed
Padres managers after Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. were together
Manny Machado signed with the Padres in 2019, and Fernando Tatis Jr. debuted that same year. They started under Andy Green, who was dismissed late in 2019 after a disappointing finish. Rod Barajas was announced as the interim manager, but he managed just eight games, in which the club went 1-7.
Jayce Tingler took over in 2020 and led the club into the postseason for the first time since 2006. After missing the postseason in 2021, he was fired. The Padres hired veteran manager Bob Melvin, who led the franchise back to the postseason in 2022. They advanced to the NLCS round but were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. However, Melvin faced internal tensions and picked the same role with the Giants after the 2023 season, leading to Mike Shildt's appointment in 2024.
Shildt is the only manager who has helped the Padres make the postseason back-to-back with Machado and Tatis Jr. to around. With him gone now, the Padres star duo will have to build chemistry with a new manager yet again.