The biannual search for a new San Diego Padres manager is underway, and already we’re hearing some familiar names being kicked around. Some of them make a lot of sense. Others are simply being mentioned because of organizational familiarity or convenience.

For example, Scott Servais is already with the organization as a special assistant in player development, and Ryan Flaherty was with the club as a bench coach, interviewing for the job two years ago before Mike Shildt got it. Both are certainly viable options but come with serious question marks.

Servais managed the Mariners for nine years, left, and they immediately got better. Is he a difference maker or just a good regular season skipper? Flaherty was one of the main people in charge of the Padres offense in 2023 when it underachieved in borderline historic fashion — why give him a chance with what’s largely the same group of players?

Listen, there are no perfect candidates. But, there are plenty of contenders who could put the Friars over the hump they’ve been trying to hurdle for years. I would like to present five of them. Keep in mind, these are names that I think the Friars should be considering, not folks they have necessarily expressed interest in.

Bruce Bochy

I can only imagine he was enjoying a nice, peaceful day hitting golf balls when his phone started buzzing about the Padres job being open.

This falls squarely under the “don’t outthink the room” argument. How often are you going to find a four-time World Series winning skipper who also happens to have a long relationship with your city and a fan base that already loves him sitting on the open market? Never. It never happens. This man’s resume speaks for itself.

Preller says one of the things they’re looking for in a candidate is the ability to stay with the organization long-term, which is very likely not something the 70-year-old Bochy can offer. But, the Friars also thought Andy Green, Jayce Tingler and Bob Melvin fit that description and were left with varying degrees of disappointment.

Bochy is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. If this franchise doesn’t at least give him a call to gauge his interest level, it will be a travesty.

Ruben Niebla

If promoting from within is important, it would be tough to do better than the Padres current pitching coach. The job Niebla did with San Diego’s pitching staff in 2025 is nothing short of remarkable, given all the injuries and new pieces and heavy bullpen usage they dealt with. Every pitcher I’ve talked to has been effusive in his praise of Niebla.

Obviously, Niebla’s baseball acumen is unquestioned. Plus, he already has the respect of the clubhouse and knowledge of the organization from top to bottom. Really the only drawback is he wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with the arms.

Bench coach Brian Esposito is also a potential internal candidate who has the chops to be a big league skipper.

Craig Albernaz

Not many San Diego baseball fans will recognize this name, but don’t be surprised if you start hearing it pop up a lot as teams go through the hiring process. Currently the Cleveland Guardians associate manager, Albernaz was a finalist for the White Sox and Marlins jobs a year ago but decided to stay another year in Ohio.

The 42-year-old is lauded for his analytical mind and player development skills, two things the Padres covet. He’s also a high-energy “people person” with the ability to connect with players while commanding respect. If the Padres don’t land him, another team almost certainly will.

Albert Pujols

One of the greatest hitters who ever lived is suddenly a hot manager candidate. The Angels have already talked to him, and the Padres have reportedly reached out requesting a chat. Pujols is an interesting case for several reasons.

He has experience managing in the Dominican Republic, and if you’re looking for someone who can command a clubhouse, it’s awfully hard to find any current player who doesn’t revere El Hombre, so getting even superstars like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. to fall in line would not be hard. However, we don’t know how he handles a bullpen or handles late inning pinch-hitters or constructs a lineup.

The bottom line on Pujols is probably this: you’re crazy if you don’t at least talk to a giant in the game and try to determine what kind of manager he’d be because the name recognition alone is enough to generate excitement.

Finally, let’s throw a complete wild card into the mix and make things interesting:

Mark Prior

A San Diego native leading the Padres makes plenty of sense to me. Prior has spent the last six seasons as the Dodgers pitching coach, and while L.A. has added more than a few arms to the Tommy John recovery list during that time, Prior has actually been really good in that role.

Little known fact: he started his second career with the Padres. After his playing career ended in 2013, he was hired by the Padres as an assistant in baseball operations, then became the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator for three years before being hired away by the Dodgers. How about we steal back a local guy who has intimate knowledge of how Los Angeles does things?