Padres rumors: 3 replacements for Jayce Tingler
By Mark Powell
The San Diego Padres have their scapegoat in manager Jayce Tingler after they guaranteed a losing season.
The Padres will, somehow, finish with a losing record on the season. Sure, they were dealt a tough hand with injuries, but so was every MLB team. San Diego’s lack of depth in the rotation and injuries in the bullpen eventually dealt them a fatal blow they could not recover from.
It was that lack of depth, specifically, that should cast doubt on general manager A.J. Preller’s future, as well. But it was a well-known secret that Tingler would be the first to go.
MLB insider Jon Heyman reported as much on Saturday afternoon:
"“Jayce Tingler will be relieved of managerial duties by the Padres. Tingler is a solid baseball man who did a good job last season. But considering the team’s lofty expectations and late-season collapse, this news was expected.”"
Preller denied the report immediately, but that’s likely more due to timing than a change of heart.
“Per A.J. Preller, no decision has been made on Jayce (Tingler’s) employment status at this time,” Dennis Lin, who covers the Padres for The Athletic, reported. “Heyman’s report is completely premature. He will be managing our game today.”
Heyman’s report is just a little bit premature, though he could end up correct in the long run.
And what do you know? The Padres announced Tingler would not return a mere days after they denying Heyman’s report. You love to see it.
Related Story. Around the Horn: Padres crumbling, playoff vaccines, Yankees streaking and more. light
Padres: Could Buck Showalter replace Jayce Tingler?
When the Padres hired Tingler in 2019, recently-signed star Manny Machado asked the team to consider Showalter instead. The two had a great relationship in Baltimore during the Orioles brief playoff run, and he’s the sort of no-nonsense manager that could correct a culture right away.
That being said, “no-nonsense” must be paired with a sound baseball mind, and Showalter’s bullpen management often left a lot to be desired. In San Diego, he’d have plenty of arms to play with in that ‘pen, either avoiding that problem altogether or making his failure in that department all the more frustrating.
Showalter already has Machado’s vote, which helps. Manny wants to be a leader in San Diego, and Showalter would ideally employ him in that role.