The Padres have narrowed their managerial search down to “no more than five men,” Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The club interviewed experienced major-league manager Brad Ausmus for the role on Wednesday, according to Acee. Jon Morosi of MLB.com previously reported the two sides would likely meet to discuss the job.
It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks for Ausmus, whom the Angels fired Sept. 30 after just one season on the job. The Angels mustered a horrid 72-90 record under Ausmus in 2019, although it would be unfair to place all the blame on him after the Halos dealt with so much adversity that was out of his control. Injuries to key players weighed the Angels down throughout the season, but there was no worse blow than the death of one of their top starters, Tyler Skaggs, on July 1.
Before Ausmus’ lone year running the Angels’ dugout and clubhouse, he managed the Tigers to a 314-332 record with one playoff berth from 2014-17. Ausmus is also well-known for a long run as a major-league catcher from 1993-2010, during which he played his first three-plus seasons with the Padres. He now has a home in San Diego, Acee notes.
Along with Ausmus, Rangers player development field coordinator Jayce Tingler and former Rangers manager/current Braves third base coach Ron Washington are reportedly among the Padres’ candidates. But it’s not clear whether they’ve interviewed anyone other than Ausmus yet.
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