Padres can learn what not to do from Twins’ Derek Shelton manager hire

The San Diego Padres’ managerial search is nearing the finish line, and to their credit, they’re already avoiding one of the easiest mistakes a franchise can make. As the Minnesota Twins reportedly circle Derek Shelton, San Diego’s narrowed its field to three finalists who actually represent progress: Albert Pujols, Nick Hundley, and pitching coach Ruben Niebla.

None of them have a losing-culture résumé to overcome. None of them are reclamation hires meant to placate ownership while the roster gets cheaper.

Contrast that with what’s happening in Minnesota, and the difference in organizational intent becomes obvious. The Twins appear to be shopping for a caretaker, not a contender — a manager who can weather an ugly rebuild while ownership trims payroll and resets expectations. 

The names on the San Diego Padres' short list hint at a plan that doesn’t involve shortcuts.

Shelton, of course, is coming off a four-year run in Pittsburgh that produced a .410 winning percentage and not a single winning season. To anyone in San Diego still nostalgic for the “maybe he just needs a better roster” argument, the Pirates already wrote that story. Spoiler: it doesn’t end well.

The Padres, on the other hand, seem intent on building forward, not sideways. Their finalists each bring something that matches their moment. Pujols has instant gravitas and a modern player’s respect. The kind of clubhouse presence that can bridge the stars and the farm system. Hundley offers familiarity, humility, and organizational trust, someone who’s seen how San Diego ticks from the inside. And Niebla, the in-house favorite, already commands credibility with a pitching staff that’s carried this team through turbulence.

In other words, San Diego isn’t chasing the “safe” hire; it’s chasing the right one. That alone separates this search from the kind of cyclical losing logic that’s kept teams like Pittsburgh, and now potentially Minnesota, stuck in neutral. When ownership and front offices talk about “culture,” this is what it looks like in practice: not repeating mistakes just because they’re convenient or cheap.

So while the Twins appear eager to re-learn the same hard lessons the Pirates already did, the Padres seem ready to graduate. Whoever gets the job in San Diego will inherit expectations, not excuses, and that’s exactly how it should be. The Padres don’t need a Derek Shelton type.