Mike Shildt surprisingly stepped aside as manager of the San Diego Padres on Monday, and could that leave the door open for Scott Servais?
On Monday, San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt announced his surprising retirement from coaching baseball. A former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals as well, Shildt spent the last two years with the Padres, taking them to the playoffs both years.
They also won 90 or more games in each season under him, but they never made it past the National League Division Series. Shildt cited the long seasons, which have taken a toll on his mental, physical and emotional health, as his reasons for stepping away.
Given the loaded Padres roster and the recent history of success, the job is going to be a highly desirable one for candidates across baseball, but it did at least get me wondering if former Seattle Mariners' skipper Scott Servais could end up in the mix for the position.
Why it would make sense
First and foremost, Servais is already in the organization. After being fired by the Mariners in August of 2024, he was hired by the Padres as a special assistant heading into 2025. He has a working knowledge of the organization, the front office, the expectations, the players and the player development system.
If they want someone who is familiar with how they do business, he's a great place to start.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today certainly thinks it's a possibility:
The Servais file
Servais spent parts of nine seasons as the Mariners manager, leading them to winning campaigns in 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. He was over .500 in 2024 before being let go as well, though the Mariners lost a 10-game lead in the American League West on his watch and eventually missed the playoffs.
He made the playoffs in Seattle just once (2022), advancing to the American League Division Series. He went 680-642 with the Mariners.
Why it wouldn't make sense
I take you back to something I said in May on the 'Refuse to Lose' podcast, which still encapsulates my opinions on Servais.
But if I were the Rockies, I would call Scott Servais the first chance that I get. I think that Scott is a really good manager for a young player, for a re-tread player, for an overlooked player, for a team that is looking to overachieve, I think Scott Servais is great for that.
I look at the 2019 Mariners, I look at the 2020 Mariners, even the 2021 Mariners, I think he was the right man for the job. Okay? I think he was the right man for the job. I don't think that Scott, necessarily, was the right manager for a star-studded Mariners team or a team with a whole lot of expectations. That's just my personal opinion, okay? I think Scott is really good with a team that's looking to sneak up on people and maybe not as good with the team that is looking to play out from in front of people.
The Padres are a team with a ton of expectations, and I'm just not sure that Servais is best-equipped to handle that. However, we will see what develops in the managerial search over the next few weeks.
For now
It's all about the current Mariners, who have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. They'll take on the Blue Jays again on Monday afternoon at 2:03 p.m. PT.
Related Mariners Stories
LATEST PODCAST IS OUT: Brady Farkas is back for the latest episode of the Refuse to Lose podcast, and he's giving a 30-minute episode on what happened in Game 5 of the ALDS, how he almost missed his flight as a result of it, the nice managerial job by Dan Wilson in that game and much more. LISTEN HERE:
COPYCAT LEAGUE: The Seattle Sounders decided to honor the Mariners in their recent goal-scoring celebration. CLICK HERE:
POLANCO MAKES HISTORY: M's infielder Jorge Polanco just joined Edgar Martinez in unique baseball history, thanks to his game-winning hit in Game 5 of the ALDS. CLICK HERE:
Join the Conversation
Remember to join our MARINERS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Mariners fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!