Former St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Shildt is taking time away from managing, and instead has agreed to work for the commissioner.
Shildt had interviewed for the San Diego Padres managerial opening, but they opted to go in a different direction. A.J. Preller hired Bob Melvin, previously of the Oakland Athletics, instead.
The former Cardinals manager was let go in rather unceremonious fashion. Despite a late run to secure a NL Wild Card berth, the Cards cited philosophical differences as a reason to fire Shildt, and instead hire Oliver Marmol.
Shildt led the Cardinals to a 41-28 record in 2018 after taking over for Mike Matheny, won the NL Central in 2019 and made the playoffs as a Wild Card in 2020 and 2021.
It wasn’t a bad run in St. Louis, but a change of scenery could do Shildt some good.
Cardinals: What is Mike Shildt’s new job?
Shildt will work under Senior Vice President Michael Hill in the on-field operations department. If that sounds vague, that’s because it is. It’ll be the first time since 2003 that Shildt isn’t taking on a scouting or coaching role in the Cardinals organization.
Because he’s just 53 years old, expect this to be a short detour for Shildt, as he takes a break from managing altogether this year to spend time with his family. He’ll be a primary candidate for managerial openings come next offseason, and for good reason. St. Louis went on a 17-game win streak with Shildt at the helm last year.
In the meantime, Shildt will deal primarily in on-field issues and umpiring, as that is Hill’s department.