In the latest unexpected development in the offseason, former Padres manager Mike Shildt is joining the Orioles to work in player development.
According to a source, Shildt has been hired as upper-level minor league coordinator of instruction. Samuel Vega is going from Latin American coordinator of instruction to lower-level coordinator of instruction.
Shildt, 57, announced his retirement last month after managing the Padres to back-to-back playoff appearances, saying "the grind of the baseball season has taken a severe toll on me mentally, physically and emotionally."
The news came nine days after the Cubs eliminated the Padres in the National League Wild Card series.
Shildt compiled a 183-141 record as manager in San Diego. The Padres won 90 games this season.
The Padres hired Shildt as a player development coach in 2022, after he managed the Cardinals from 2018-21. He was named NL Manager of the Year in 2019 after St. Louis won 91 games and the Central Division title.
Shildt’s overall record as manager is 435-340. He told The Athletic last month that he wouldn’t pursue another major league job.
The Orioles’ staff directory doesn't currently list the titles of upper and lower-level coordinators of instruction in 2025. Sherman Johnson was upper-level hitting coordinator and Orioles’ assistant hitting coach before his departure. Brink Ambler served as lower-level hitting coordinator.
Jeff Kunkel returned to his role as minor league field coordinator.
Vega won the 2024 Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award after the Orioles hired him two years earlier as Latin America field coordinator, overseeing the development of the club’s international prospects. He’s credited with playing an instrumental role in getting the state-of-the-art Dominican Republic training facility up and running.
* Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is in talks to join the Rays in an undisclosed role, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.
Hyde managed the Orioles from 2019 to his dismissal on May 17.