Padres ex-manager just revealed the story behind his Orioles transition

When manager Mike Shildt and the San Diego Padres decided to part ways following the 2025 season, there were a lot of questions. Was he forced out by general manager A.J. Preller? Did the dark side of sports betting play a role?

Now, Shildt is shedding some light on why he left the Padres. If we are to believe what he says about the split, it seems he wants to get back to teaching the game rather than being the top guy in charge daily.

Mike Shildt reveals why he left Padres for new role with Orioles

The main quote on his reasoning was: "I was tired of being the principal. I wanted to get back to being the teacher.”

That is more than understandable, especially since he had to be the principal of a team with so much talent. With stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado on the roster, the Padres always had a genuine shot to unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

San Diego gave LA a genuine scare coming down the stretch in 2025, but the Dodgers pulled away at the end as they always seem to do.

Still, Shildt should be proud of his two seasons with the Padres. He led San Diego to a record of 93-69 in 2024, and the Padres had the Dodgers on the ropes in the NLDS series that postseason. 2025 saw the team finish at 90-72 as they were eliminated in the Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs.

Now, Shildt is going to be an upper-level coordinator of instruction with the Baltimore Orioles.

We will have to see exactly what that role looks like, but based on his comments and the title, it sounds like he is going to be working more directly with players to help them improve different facets of their game.

He no longer has to have a spotlight shone on him every night, where every bullpen move he makes or pinch hitter he calls upon to bat can be scrutinized. The manager takes a lot of heat, so the more behind-the-scenes instructional role seems like a perfect salve after growing tired of the manager role.

Shildt will obviously also be an invaluable resource for first-time big league manager Craig Albernaz. It makes so much sense to surround Albernaz with experienced voices who know what it is like to manage in the big leagues.

While Shildt seemingly wants to be more of a mentor to players, he can also be a teacher to Albernaz, which could pay huge dividends for Baltimore in 2026 and beyond.