SAN DIEGO -- In October, when Padres general manager A.J. Preller sat down to hammer out a contract extension for manager Mike Shildt, there was one very clear point of agreement between the two.
"The things that our [coaching] staff brought to the table … it was pretty easy to be on the same page in terms of bringing this group back," Preller said last month.
Indeed, Preller and Shildt made it a priority to retain their 2024 staff. On that front, mission accomplished.
The Padres unveiled their coaching staff for the '25 season on Friday, and the group remains nearly unchanged.
Ruben Niebla is back as pitching coach, a multiyear deal which was finalized last month. Victor Rodriguez remains as hitting coach after spearheading the best offense in Padres history. And Brian Esposito returns in largely the same role, though he has now formally received the title of bench coach after spending last season as the team's game strategy assistant.
"I'm looking forward to the staff staying together, being together, growing together, taking the next steps," Shildt said. "That continuity between the staff and the players on the field, we've established a good, good base."
The biggest change is still a relatively minor one. Ryan Barba, who served as the Major League field coordinator, is no longer on the Major League staff -- though it’s expected that he will remain with the organization at a player development level.
As for Niebla, his return has been expected for the better part of a month. He is joined by bullpen coach Ben Fritz and gameplanning/coaching assistant Peter Summerville on the pitching side of things.
Niebla is slated to begin his fourth season in charge of Padres pitchers. His first three were wildly successful: the Padres twice reached the playoffs, and when they didn’t in 2023, they still posted the lowest rotation ERA in the Majors.
"We’re going to reward the people that perform," Preller said in early November. "Ruben’s been a big performer. Looking forward to him being a big part of the Padres organization for a long time.”
The same holds true for Rodriguez, who took over a hugely difficult job, given the recent rate of turnover at hitting coach in San Diego. The Padres proceeded to finish tied for fifth in offense, with a 111 wRC+, despite playing home games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park.
Along with Rodriguez, assistant hitting coaches Pat O’Sullivan and Mike McCoy are back in those roles. Clearly, the Padres are intent on sticking with a formula that worked very well for them offensively in 2024.