The Padres begin their first round of interviews this week with candidates to become their new manager, though it is not known when or even if those in-person meetings have already begun.

There will be a second round, though it is not certain how long the process will continue and whether the Padres will wait for certain candidates to become available.

One certainty is the team’s desire to hire a manager with experience — someone “who has been there and done that” and has “presence” according to one team official.

This is something about which players expressed excitement.


“Guys who have a track record, it’s instant respect when they walk in the door,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “You look at some of the names out there, we can relate. We’ve seen these guys on TV. We’ve seen him in action. We’ve heard about the way they do their business. That’s instant respect right away.

“You get really excited about it. You want to find out how they go about it — what’s their style? You’re pretty much willing to buy in 100 percent, because there’s no reason not to because they bring a track record.”

They apparently began their interview process with a candidate with just eight games of experience as a manager, meeting with bench coach Rod Barajas on Wednesday.

Barajas, who caught 14 seasons in the majors, managed the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate from 2016-18 before becoming the major league team’s bench coach in 2019. He took over for Andy Green on Sept. 21. Fielding lineups most often rife with September call-ups, the Padres won one game with Barajas as interim manager.


The team is expected to interview former Angels manager Mike Scioscia and longtime Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles manager Buck Showalter. The timing of those meetings is not known.

Scioscia was the Angels’ manager when they won the 2002 World Series and had a 1,650-1,428 record in 19 seasons. The Angels went to the playoffs seven times in his tenure. Scioscia also speaks Spanish, which the Padres consider a significant plus.

Showalter, who was the only manager Manny Machado had in Baltimore, has a 1,551-1,517 record in 20 seasons. He was named AL manager of the year in 1994, 2004 and 2014.

The Padres also have expressed interest in talking with former Cubs and Rays manager Joe Maddon and former Rangers manager Ron Washington. Joe Girardi, who managed the Marlins and Yankees, could be another option, though there has been no confirmation of the team’s interest.


Washington, the third base coach for the Atlanta Braves, who begin their National League Division Series against the Cardinals on Thursday, is the only known candidate currently working for a major league team. The Braves would need to grant permission for him to be interviewed.

The Padres fired Green with eight games remaining in the season, in part to get a jump on their search for a replacement. A team announcing a managerial hire before the end of the World Series is supposed to get permission from MLB.