The 2025 regular season was too cruel for a few playoff-bound teams. After posting poor records, teams like the Angels, SF Giants, Braves, and Twins had to say goodbye to their respective skippers. But when a coach like Mike Shildt, who guided the Padres to their first back-to-back 90-win seasons since 2006, decides to retire, it naturally raises eyebrows.

In his retirement message, Shildt explained that the reason behind such a sudden decision was that he was not able to manage the workload mentally. “The grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally,” he wrote. But here’s the catch. On the surface, it’s a simple story, but some insiders believe there’s more to it.

On the show Foul Territory, host Alanna Rizzo noted the phrasing was odd. “It’s interesting, though, the wording, my friend, not retiring as a manager, but retiring as manager of the Friars,” she said. Rizzo was pointing out that the ex-Friars’ skipper didn’t say he was done with baseball forever.

MLB insider Jesse Rogers agreed. “Retiring from the manager of the Padres is curious wording,” Rogers responded. “So there’s got to be more to this story than just that statement, right?” He believes that while Shildt did a good job, the pressures in San Diego are unique. “In San Diego, you know, change is ever in the wind there, um, with A. J. Preller in charge.”

The speculation immediately points to a long list of teams with managerial job openings where he can go. The Orioles, the team Shildt grew up rooting for, need a manager. So do the Twins, Nationals, Rockies, and several other clubs like the Angels, Giants, and Braves. The only team that hired a manager after saying goodbye to the previous one is the Rangers. They hired ex-Marlins manager Skip Schumaker after mutually parting ways with Bruce Bochy.

Rogers made it clear by saying, “There’s a lot of managerial jobs open… not that many great managers out there, according to general managers. He was at least a good one who had good seasons. So this is a bit surprising, but there’s got to be more to this story.”

If Shildt’s public statement is only half the story, then what’s the other half?

Though Shildt spoke of burnout, many believe working for Padres’ President of Baseball Operations A. J. Preller is so demanding. San Diego Union-Tribune writer Kevin Acee addressed this on Foul Territory. “I believe it is 100% true, the things that Mike said,” Acee began. “He seemed weary… it’s a demanding job.” Acee then explained, “I have never covered a baseball manager who lives… every single game the way that Mike Shildt does. And, you know, working for A. J. Preller is… demanding.”

And Preller’s history just proves this point. He is now searching for his fifth full-time manager since 2014. His last three hires—Jayce Tingler, Bob Melvin, and now Shildt—all led the team to the postseason. But none of them lasted more than two seasons.

And if Shildt does join another team, the speculation proves right because the Padres have seen this movie before. After the 2023 season, manager Bob Melvin left San Diego and immediately took the same job with the division-rival San Francisco Giants.

Now, let’s understand why another team would hire a manager who has just retired from burnout because Mike Shildt led the Friars to a 183-141 record in his two seasons and led the team to the National League Division Series in 2024 before this season’s wild-card round elimination. Before that, he guided the St. Louis Cardinals to the postseason three straight times in his four seasons there, which included an NLCS appearance in 2019.

As for the Friars, expect the San Diego front office to choose an internal candidate, perhaps.