The San Diego Padres just recently named Mike Shildt their new head coach. As expected, they had many other candidates in mind to run the Padres bench, one of those were former MLB player Adrian Gonzalez. According to MLB Network’s David Vassegh, he was one of three finalists for the position.
Gonzalez, 41, was an outlier in comparison to all of the other candidates. He was the only one without managerial or coaching experience at any level of professional baseball. The former MLB player, Adrian Gonzalez, played for the Padres, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in his illustrious career. He broke onto the scene as an All-Star caliber player during his time with the Padres.
Gonzalez, who was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the first round of the 2000 draft, was joined by Phil Nevin in the managerial search. Nevin was also a first-round pick. The first search to include two former first-round picks (that we are aware of). The experience of knowing what it takes to be a top-tier MLB player may have been appealing to the Padres front office. Especially, considering the roster features multiple high-profile stars. That experience could’ve been used in a nice mentorship.
It remains to be seen if Adrian Gonzalez will seek any other coaching opportunities. The San Diego opening had some meaning to it. Not only did he play with the Padres from 2006-10, but he’s also a San Diego native. However, it’s likely that the Padres could consider the two-time Silver Slugger for another position. With Shildt winning out the managerial search, it’s likely that the Padres may make some changes. According to The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, pitching coach Ruben Niebla and bullpen coach Ben Fritz are likely to remain.
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