Padres CEO Erik Greupner provided an update on Monday morning with the 97.3 FM morning show, Ben & Woods, that named former Cardinal Albert Pujols as a managerial candidate for the Padres. He will be interviewing
on Wednesday, Oct. 22. Pujols was originally considered the favorite for the manager position with the Los Angeles Angels, but it has been reported that the Angels have moved on from Pujols.
Greupner stated that they began their process on Monday with the first interview on that day. Pujols was specifically mentioned by Greupner, but Padres beat writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Kevin Acee, reported that Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, as well as former Padres catcher Nick Hundley, are also on the list.
It has been reported by area media that Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty will also be interviewed. Flaherty was a candidate during the process when Mike Shildt was hired.
Former Padres catcher and current broadcaster, Carlos Hernandez, has expressed interest in managing the team, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Lin also stated in that same article that Padres bench coach Brian Esposito was the person interviewed on Monday.
Current reporting has the San Francisco Giants in negotiations to hire Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as their manager and that the Angels will be hiring former major league catcher Kurt Suzuki as their manager. If those reports are true, the Padres will be one of six teams still searching for a new manager.
A.J. Preller contract status also updated
Greupner also gave an update on the status of A.J. Preller in his discussion with Ben & Woods. He stated that Padres Chairman John Seidler is spearheading the negotiations that are currently ongoing and that the organization expects that Preller will be signed to a contract that will extend him beyond his current contract that ends after the 2026 season.
He also addressed an article written by Dennis Lin of The Athletic regarding his relationship with Preller. He denied the reporting of tension between the two, stating they had a good working relationship and that is proven by the success of the organization over the last several years.
For Padres fans, the main concern is the stability of the organization and the continued work toward building a championship team. Greupner said all the right things on Monday. Emphasizing again that anything less than a World Championship is not acceptable to anyone in the organization. He struck a positive note regarding the finances required to fulfill that goal as well as the need to improve the team. He specifically mentioned the need for the offense to execute better with runners on base and acquiring more slug for the team.
It remains to be seen what the offseason will bring for the direction of the Padres organization. The first steps are to solidify the leadership of the team and then the hard work of improving the roster will begin.
