The San Diego Padres made a pair of front office hires today, bringing back former manager Bud Black and adding former Padre outfielder Wil Myers.
The move was reported by multiple sources, including ESPN and the Athletic, and Black’s title will be senior adviser to baseball operations, while Myers will serve as a special assignment coach working in player development.
Black, of course, has an extensive history with the Padres. He managed the team for over eight seasons from 2007-2015, and while the Padres didn’t make the playoffs during his extended tenure, he did win the National League Manager of the Year award in 2010. Black is also the second-winningest manager in franchise history behind Bruce Bochy, with a record of 649-713.
Myers played for eight seasons with the Padres, bating .254 to go with 134 home runs and 433 RBIs as an outfielder, primarily in either left or right field.
He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2013, and while Myers was considered a good player, he never quite lived up to the initial promise and potential he displayed. Myers did play for several teams after he moved on from the Padres, with the Cincinnati Reds being the last team he played for in 2013.
Black indicated that he had no hard feelings about being fired when his tenure as manager came to a close, and he was able to touch base with GM A.J. Preller from time to time, which was made easier by the fact that he resides in San Diego during the offseason.
According to Black, it was Preller who raised the possibility of a return last summer, and the plan for Black will include evaluating the Padres farm system, some scouting and spending time around the big-league club.
Given that the Padres have a new manager, there will also be speculation that Black could be a stopgap if new manager Craig Stammen can’t handle the demands of the job. It’s a long shot, and something the Padres obviously hope doesn’t happen, but it does make sense to have Black around in this kind of role.
As for Myers, he lives in North Carolina during the offseason, but he’s worked as an instructor in the Arizona Instructional League, and he’ll spend a few weeks in minor league camp this spring to reacquaint himself with current prospects, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. He's edging into a bigger post-career role as a coach, so expect his responsibilities to grow going forward as he learns the ropes.