San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt suddenly and surprisingly retired from his post earlier this week. Shildt's Padres made the postseason each of the last two years, and while he is 57 years old, AJ Preller would've welcome him back with open arms. However, as is always the case when a manager leaves on his own accord or is fired, a look behind the curtain makes such a decision a little more transparent.
On Monday, I wrote a story comparing Shildt's departure in San Diego to his 'parting of ways' with the St. Louis Cardinals and John Mozeliak's regimes. In both circumstances, the respective fanbase was caught off-guard. However, unlike in St. Louis, Shildt wasn't pushed out by the front office. Rather, he felt worn down by baseball fans and the gambling community.
“Those are narratives I can’t control,” Shildt told Dennis Lin of The Athletic. “You know, people are going to say whatever they want. There’s always going to be some kind of speculation. I’m just tired and want to go home, dude. I’m at super peace with it.”
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Why did Mike Shildt leave the Padres? Blame health and sports gambling
Per Shildt, he started facing health issues in August. During the past season, he experienced poor sleep, chest pains and hair loss. Worst of all, though, Shildt received death threats from those in the sports gambling community, which has unfortunately become a theme for those in professional sports these days.
When Shildt approached Preller with his decision, the Padres president of baseball operations wasn't surprised, and could tell his manager was worn down.
“I don’t want people to think I checked out or wasn’t engaged or wasn’t doing my job,” Shildt said. “No, that’s not the case. I tell myself, and I have done it since day one of this job, regardless of level … I’m going bell to bell. I’m going to give it everything I got. Because I owe it to the team and the players. So, I did that."
This has long been my issue with the sports gambling issue as a whole. Anyone who wants to spend their hard-earned money on a game of chance should have at it. However, when it leads to threats and the livelihood of career professionals, we officially have a problem. While the gambling industry is far from the only reason Shildt left his post, it certainly didn't help.
Managers are people, too. It's time to treat them with respect
If Shildt's story can teach us anything about the life of a professional baseball manager – or any coach in sports, for that matter – it's that it can be a tough gig. Shildt has to balance relationships with players and the front office, making tough decisions which will impact their livelihoods. To do this and then deal with threats on social media or elsewhere is too much to ask of anyone. Shildt admitted he was visibly worn down at the end of the 2025 season. It should then come as no surprise he wanted out, especially just a few years away from your average American retirement age.
“I can tell you I was sick a lot. I just wasn’t feeling good. I was run down. And I wasn’t sleeping. And it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just day-to-day stress. But, you know, just unhealthy, man, and sometimes you’ve just got to take care of you, you know?” Shildt added.
From a human perspective, it's tough not to feel for Shildt, who gave his all to the Padres and previously the Cardinals, only to fall short of his goal of winning a World Series. We can only hope he's come to peace with his decision, and is happier as a result.