FILE - San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt attends a news conference ahead of a baseball workout at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea on March 16, 2024. Shildt faces the St. Louis Cardinals Monday, April 1, for the first time since he became the San Diego Padres' manager and expressed gratitude to both organizations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
While the St. Louis Cardinals are sitting at home again this October, former manager Mike Shildt has been leading an exciting Padres team on another playoff run, once again shining a light on the awkward ending to his time with the Cardinals
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Even as someone who thinks the loss of Shlidt has been overstated by many fans, it is hard to argue with the fact that Shlidt has now led his team to the postseason in every full season that he has been a manager. Rosters matter a ton and I think it is easy to see that the players he is working with in San Diego this year are better than what St. Louis had this year, but it is still interesting to see that he is having success elsewhere while the Cardinals have tapered off.
While it wasn’t the Cardinals’ choice to part with former hitting coach Jeff Albert, I have been saying for a while now that his loss has been understated by a fanbase that wanted him gone, and now in his new role as the New York Mets’ Director of Hitting Development, the club finds itself in the National League Championship Series along with some clutch hitting this postseason.,
Again, Albert walked away from his role in St. Louis despite being wanted back by the organization, and he does have stars like Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in his lineup, but hard to ignore the managerial success of Shildt and hitting development under Albert in new locations when the Cardinals themselves are struggling in both areas.
In a conversation with Tom Ackerman on his radio show, John Mozeliak was quick to point out that how the Cardinals navigate payroll in 2025 is still yet to be determined due to continued uncertainty regarding revenues. While he did not highlight the Diamond Sports Group situations specifically, it’s clear that the looming situation will dictate just how much St. Louis decides to slash from their Major League payroll.
