Shildt on Padres’ pitching options, Tatis, coach approach and more
January 4th, 2024
This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavellâs Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The Padres’ start to the New Year has been a busy one.
On Wednesday, the team announced manager Mike Shildt’s coaching staff, with a handful of notable changes, including Victor Rodriguez as hitting coach and Tim Leiper as third-base coach.
A few hours later, the team announced the signing of Woo-Suk Go, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever who has starred in Korea for the past seven seasons.
In between, Shildt spoke with reporters for about half an hour, discussing his coaching staff first and foremost — but also a handful of notable offseason developments.
Here are seven takeaways from a busy Wednesday:
1. The Padres’ ‘pen is nearly complete
The key word being “nearly.” There’s always room for more pitching, particularly in the bullpen where year-to-year results can be so volatile. The Padres aren’t necessarily done.
But in Robert Suarez, Yuki Matsui, Tom Cosgrove, Steven Wilson, Enyel De Los Santos and Go, the Padres have the foundation of a solid bullpen. They also have a deep group of arms who can compete for the final few places in that ‘pen.
“As far as roles go, the good news is: Give us as many quality pitchers as possible,” Shildt said. “And we’ll figure out how to use them in the right spots.”
2. Early signs of a rotation battle
For the first time since the Juan Soto trade, Shildt discussed his new arrivals, including Jhony Brito and Randy Våsquez. Both have served as starters and relievers in the big leagues, and Shildt was asked directly about their roles this season.
“They’ll definitely be in the competition to start, for sure,” Shildt said.
Last month, general manager A.J. Preller confirmed that Michael King, another arrival in that deal, would be used as a starter, giving the Padres a current front three of Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and King.
That sets up a battle featuring a number of options, including Brito, Våsquez, Matt Waldron, Pedro Avila, Jay Groome and Jairo Iriarte. Should the Padres add to their rotation later this winter (as is currently likely), the number of available places would shrink.
3. All eyes on the Dominican Winter League playoffs
Fernando Tatis Jr. has been up to his usual tricks for Estrellas Orientales, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th inning of a playoff game on Tuesday night — on Tatis’ 25th birthday, no less.
Shildt was asked what went into the team’s decision to let Tatis, a bona fide star, play winter ball. Needless to say, the fact that Tatis missed the entire 2022 season was a key factor.
“I got to see him in-person for two games toward the end of December,” Shildt said. “He looks good, feels good. As far as why he’s playing — he missed 17 months. I think he was happy with aspects of his season in talking to him. I also feel like, in talking to him, he wanted to work on a few things. That provided an opportunity.
“And, finally, listen, the guy loves playing baseball. And he loves playing baseball for, basically, his hometown in his home country, for his dad [Estrellas manager Fernando Tatis Sr.]. So I get all that. Man, what a treat it was to go down and watch him play and [see] the joy this guy has.”
Now that the calendar has shifted to January and the Dodgers have signed two of the market’s biggest free agents in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
“That’s still the goal,” Shildt said. “Then and now, it’s clearly a challenge. … It’s a competitive division, which we enjoy and I personally embrace. Out of all respect to our opponents, it’s really more about what we do. We compete against ourselves every day, we play the game we expect to play — smart and effectively — usually the game rewards you.”
5. Niebla’s toughest job yet?
The Padres’ pitching staff has gone through an overhaul this winter. They’ve already lost the bulk of their rotation innings, and they figure to rely heavily on a number of younger, unproven starters — many of whom only joined the organization this offseason.
So it’s worth noting that the Padres’ entire pitching apparatus — the group that helmed them to the best rotation ERA in the Majors last season — will return. That continuity might prove pivotal.
Ruben Niebla is back in his role as pitching coach (which we’ve known now for months). Ben Fritz is back as bullpen coach, and Peter Summerville returns as game-planning assistant. Niebla has been a revelation since his arrival in San Diego two seasons ago. But his toughest test awaits him this year.
6. ‘Unconventional’ bench-coach approach
The Padres don’t have a bench coach listed on their 2024 coaching staff. The way Shildt sees it, he has four.
A bench coach’s duties typically consist of game-prep, in-game strategy, assisting with pitching decisions and communicating with pinch-hitters when their names might be called.
Shildt says he’s got a man for each of those duties: field coordinator Ryan Barba for game prep, catching coach and game-strategy assistant Brian Esposito for in-game strategy, Niebla for pitching decisions and his three-man hitting-coach staff, led by Victor Rodriguez, for hitting.
“It’s an untraditional way of looking at it,” Shildt said.
If Shildt were to be ejected, Esposito would essentially take over in-game management, with Niebla in charge of all pitching decisions. I’ll be curious to see how it plays out in real time.
7. The Padres’ ‘human Red Bull’
Shildt’s press conference had just about ended, when he piped up with an addendum. No one had asked him about new third-base coach Tim Leiper.
“I gotta give our man Tim Leiper some love,” Shildt said. “He has a lot of baseball experience, can bring a lot of energy and expertise. Like a little human red bull. He’s just a positive, good guy that brings a lot of good energy.”
In addition to third-base coaching duties, Leiper will serve as the team’s infield and baserunning instructor after spending the past four seasons with the Giants as their baserunning and outfield coordinator.
