The San Diego Padres finished with a 42-54 record under interim manager Pat Murphy, which wasn't enough for him to secure the job on a full-time basis next year. The team announced on the final day of the regular season, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that Murphy will not return as manager next year.
The Padres didn't say Murphy would be jettisoned from the organization completely, but he could bolt if given the opportunity. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the Milwaukee Brewers could make a push for Murphy's services:
In June, Murphy took over as the Padres manager following the firing of Bud Black. The 56-year-old Murphy had previously coached San Diego's Triple-A affiliate, the El Paso Chihuahuas.
Bleacher Report's Scott Miller reported Saturday the Padres may look to the minor leagues again to find Murphy's replacement, identifying Phil Nevin as a possible candidate. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, San Diego may have some serious competition:
Nevin played six-plus seasons for the Padres between 1999 and 2005. Following the end of his playing career, the 44-year-old joined the managerial ranks. In seven years across independent ball, Double-A and Triple-A, he has compiled a 442-495 record.
The Padres could also pursue proven options like Dusty Baker or Rick Renteria, both of whom are without teams. Renteria has history in San Diego, where he was the team's bench coach before becoming the Chicago Cubs manager.
The Padres' choice could indicate what the team expects to do in 2016. In all likelihood, San Diego will lose its best position player, Justin Upton, in free agency but retain a number of key veterans from this year's squad.
General manager A.J. Preller was aggressive in the offseason last year in his attempts to make San Diego a winner in 2015, and hiring Baker, Renteria or another manager with MLB experience would signal that he intends to contend in 2016.
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