The San Diego Padres have fired manager Andy Green. This move came almost 12 hours after one of the Padres’ most embarrassing losses this season, a 9-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his four-year tenure with San Diego, Green compiled a 274-366 record. The Padres have named bench coach Rod Barajas as the team’s interim manager.
After the announcement, Padres general manager A.J. Preller released the following statement.
“I want to thank Andy for his tireless work and dedication to the Padres over the last four seasons. This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we felt was necessary at this time to take our organization to the next level and expedite the process of bringing a championship to San Diego. Our search for a new manager will begin immediately.”
San Diego Padres Fire Manager Andy Green
San Diego’s Struggles
After three consecutive disappointing seasons, it looked as if the Padres were turning a corner in 2019. With the offseason signing of Manny Machado and the debut of superstar prospect Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego had the look of a team that wasn’t far from contention. However, that quickly changed when the team lost Tatis in mid-August due to a stress reaction in his back. The Padres never seemed to regroup after losing Tatis, leading them to a colossal second-half collapse (24-41). It had also been reported from sources close to the team that Green had “lost the clubhouse.”
San Diego’s .428 winning percentage with Green is the fourth-worst in the majors since 2016, ahead of only the Detroit Tigers (.406), Baltimore Orioles (.408) and Miami Marlins (.427), according to ESPN. The Padres’ four runs per game, .236 batting average, and .695 OPS since 2016 are all MLB worsts. Green failed to win more than 71 games or finish higher than fourth place in any of his four seasons in San Diego.
Obviously, it’s not fair to place all the blame on Green. But for a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006 and hasn’t had a winning season since 2010, this move is an understandable one.
Potential Replacements
The Padres, and possibly many other teams this offseason, will be looking to fill their head coaching vacancy. Among potential replacements for Green include, Barajas, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon (if he is let go by the Chicago Cubs), Mike Scioscia, Moises Alou, Ron Washington, Mark Loretta, and Phil Nevin. This list will more than likely change as the search for Green’s replacement continues.
With their dynamic farm system and the front office’s willingness to spend money, San Diego will be an enticing spot for any potential manager.
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