Shildt prioritized his well-being, trading the managerial pressure cooker for a nurturing role he craved within the Orioles organization.
The offseason for the San Diego Padres got off to a surprising start as manager Mike Shildt suddenly stepped down from his duties after back-to-back seasons of at least 90 wins. Since then, the Padres made Craig Stammen the club’s next manager, but the details surrounding Shildt’s departure have always been murky.
Initially, Shildt cited physical, emotional, and mental health as his reason for his early departure from San Diego. He wanted time to take care of himself, and he didn’t believe he could do that as the manager of one of the best teams in baseball, and all the pressures that come with it. Since then, Shildt joined the Baltimore Orioles organization in an upper-level instructional role.
In a Sunday story from The Washington Post, Shildt’s motivations to step down as San Diego’s manager were revealed further. According to the article, Shildt described his move as a leap of faith amid his desire to get back to being the “teacher” instead of the “principal.” He revealed that he was already contemplating his future with the club even just halfway through the 2025 season.
As he had been leaning towards, Shildt ultimately informed the club shortly after the season’s conclusion that he wouldn’t be returning to play out the rest of his contact which ran through the 2027 season. Shildt became the third consecutive manager for the Padres to leave after just two seasons with the club.
Of the other two managers who left, Shildt found the most success in San Diego. Bob Melvin and Jayce Tingler never reached 90 wins with the club, something that Shildt did in both of his years at the helm.
Despite the success in the regular season, the Padres never managed to make a significant run in the postseason. In 2024, San Diego lost in five games in the NLDS and followed that up with a Wild Card loss in 2025 to the Chicago Cubs. Shildt discovered that while the Padres have one of the most talented rosters in the MLB, that doesn’t exactly equate to having an easy job as the skipper.
It was ultimately too much of a toll on Shildt, and he took matters into his own hands to protect his well-being after two stressful seasons as the manager. With his new role deep into the Orioles’ organization, Shildt should be able to act more in the “teacher” role that he so desires.