One week after losing the NL Wild Card Game to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the St. Louis Cardinals have made a managerial change. Mike Shildt is out as the club’s manager, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced Thursday. Mozeliak cited a “philosophical difference” for the move, and called it strictly a “baseball decision.”
“We decided internally it would be best to separate now,” Mozeliak said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “… We have determined that we have a philosophical difference in the direction of our Major League club. Where we felt the team was going, we were struggling to get on the same page.”
Last week Mozeliak told reporters, including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the team considered making changes to the coaching staff during the season, but ultimately stuck with the staff in place. Mozeliak stopped short of saying Shildt and his coaches are safe heading into next year, however.
“In terms of what 2022 looks like it’s a bit premature for me to weigh in,” Mozeliak told Goold last week. “Having said that there is a lot this group should be proud of. They did accomplish a lot.”
Mozeliak indicated the Cardinals have “some quality internal candidates” for the manager’s position, adding he is “not really prepared” to say whether they will look outside the organization. Cardinals first-base coach Stubby Clapp and minor-league infielder coordinator José Oquendo have been viewed as managers in waiting in recent years.
Shildt, 53, replaced Mike Matheny on an interim basis in Aug. 2018, then was given the job permanently following that season. The Cardinals went 252-199 in parts of four seasons under Shildt, winning the 2019 NL Central title. Shildt was named NL Manager of the Year that season. St. Louis has gone to the postseason each of the last three years.
Mozeliak specifically said Shildt was “dismissed of his duties,” confirming this was a firing. Shildt signed a three-year contract when he was named manager on a permanent basis in November 2019, meaning he still one more year to go on his deal.
The Cardinals join the New York Mets and San Diego Padres as teams to dismiss their manager since the end of the regular season. The Yankees have parted ways with several members of their coaching staff, indicating manager Aaron Boone will remain.
