Bruce Bochy not closing the door on managing the Padres

Signs are pointing towards the San Diego Padres moving on from manager Jayce Tingler at the end of the season, as the team is likely going to miss out on the postseason despite entering 2021 as one of the World Series favorites. The most popular name you’ll hear if the Padres manager job is open is Bruce Bochy.

Ron Fowler, who was the chairman of the team at the time of the Tingler hiring, called Bochy to see if he was interested in being the Padres next manager but Bochy said he wasn’t interested.

Bochy, 66, retired after the 2019 season after winning three championships with the San Francisco Giants. A big reason why he retired was because of heart problems but according to Sportico’s Barry Bloom, “he’s healthy now and [Bochy] also said he’s fully vaccinated against the coronavirus...”

Bochy has a history with the Friars, as he was on the 1984 National League champion team years before managing the team from 1995 to 2006 before going to San Francisco.

Bloom spoke with Bochy about the possibility of managing in the future and Bochy didn’t say no. “I think I’ll just say what I’ve been saying: I don’t think you rule anything out,” Bochy continued. “I’ve enjoyed doing what I’ve been doing, working with the Giants, going through the minor league affiliates. I went to spring training for a couple of weeks, but you never say never. That’s my mindset.”

Bochy not closing the door on managing will probably make most Padres fans smile because he seems like the number one target to be next year’s manager among the fan base (again, assuming Tingler doesn’t keep his job). The next manager of the team, according to some of the players, needs to be someone who commands the respect of the veterans and stars on the team like Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Eric Hosmer. Bochy, a future Hall of Fame manager, would certainly fit that bill.