The San Diego Padres announced shortly after the 2015 MLB season came to an end that manager Pat Murphy would not return in the same role next year. General manager A.J. Preller said today that there's "no real time frame" on the team's manager search, but we've got a list of candidates that could be atop Preller's list.
Murphy took over as interim manager after the Padres fired Bud Black, who went 32-33 in the team's first 65 games. Murphy, who had never managed an MLB game, went 42-54 with a not-so-good Padres team, and it was previously believed he could remain manager in 2016. San Diego coveted him so much earlier this year that they refused to let him interview for a coaching job with the Milwaukee Brewers, which led some to believe he was a long-term option.
Well, rumors suggest Murphy could join the Brewers' staff if he's not offered a job back with the Padres (or if he doesn't want to work for them anymore), according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
San Diego will be going back to the drawing board this offseason after Preller's plethora of trades and transactions failed to make the team any better from last season (they were actually three games worse). The biggest question is clearly at manager, so here's who Preller might be considering (in no particular order).
*Both Brad Ausmus and Torey Lovullo were expected to be candidates in the offseason, but Ausmus will return to the Tigers and Lovullo signed a two-year extension to remain on John Farrell's coaching staff in Boston.
Phil Nevin
Reports about the Padres interviewing Nevin, who is currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate, immediately surfaced after Murphy was dismissed. The first came from Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, but Dbacks GM Dave Stewart told Robert Baum of The Associated Press that the Padres have only asked permission to interview third-base coach Andy Green.
Nevin played seven MLB seasons with the Padres and batted .288/.359/.503 with 428 runs scored, 156 home runs and 573 RBIs in 806 games.
Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune adds Nevin lives in the San Diego area, which certainly validates the rumors surrounding his candidacy.
Jason Varitek
Rumors have linked Varitek to the Padres job, but he has no managerial experience and currently works as a special assistant in the Boston Red Sox front office. It's unknown if he'd be open to a return on the field because he's been reportedly keen on spending more time with his family after 15 seasons in the MLB (he retired after the 2011 season).
Ron Washington
This was Corey Brock of MLB.com's pick last week. And it certainly makes sense. Washington finished out 2015 as the third-base coach of the Oakland Athletics after resigning as manager of the Texas Rangers last September. Preller was the assistant GM in Texas when Washington was managing the club, so there's a clear connection there.
Additionally, it's more than likely the Pads are looking for an experienced skipper, especially one with past success in the MLB. While Bud Black seemingly fit that profile, the 58-year-old began his career with San Diego and owns a losing record in nine seasons and never made the playoffs. Washington has been to two World Series and was a coach on the A's during their runs in the early 2000s.
But so far there's been nothing.
Athletics third base coach Ron Washington was headed home to New Orleans from Oakland today. Hasn't heard from Padres about managerial job.
— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) October 5, 2015
Ron Gardenhire
He has yet to be mentioned in rumors with the Padres, but why wouldn't Preller consider him? Gardenhire wants to return to the MLB after enjoying a nice run with the Minnesota Twins. The 57-year-old could perhaps help the Padres reach their goal of making the postseason faster than most of the other potential candidates and he'd immediately be well-respected among the veterans in the clubhouse.
Stay tuned for any updates on this potential development.
Dave Roberts
The Padres' bench coach is one of the possible internal candidates, along with hitting coach Mark Kotsay and special assistant Mark Loretta, but again, it's likely Preller goes with a candidate that is closer to managing players than not.
Roberts spent a day as the team's manager this season when Black was fired before the team hired Murphy. He's been the team's bench coach since 2013 and likely knows how things work in the clubhouse, so he certainly can't be ruled out.
Rick Renteria
The former Chicago Cubs manager, who was tossed aside for Joe Maddon, spent a year out of baseball, but he has previous ties to the Padres organization. He was the bench coach for San Diego from 2011-2013 before signing a three-year deal with the Cubs.
Last offseason, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "Renteria has friends throughout the game, especially San Diego, who want to see him back in the game."
He also lives in the San Diego area, so there's another aspect that could help his cause.
There are others who are likely going to be considered for the job (keep an eye on Blue Jays bench coach Demarlo Hale) because Preller really needs to hire a capable manager that is open to his philosophy. The team's 2015 season did not go as planned, but the Padres have a chance to make the proper adjustments and contend in the not-so-strong NL West.
