The San Diego Padres manager search should come to a close soon, with the MLB team reportedly whittling down the list to determine who will succeed Bob Melvin.

The Padres should announce their new team manager soon after Melvin opted to take his act to the San Francisco Giants last October, per MLB.com.

There were originally four candidates on the final list of the Padres. However, that was appended on Monday, November 6, after the Chicago Cubs made a shocking move of signing Craig Counsell as their new team manager.

This displaced David Ross, and sources claim that the 46-year-old former Padres catcher was in consideration. Ross played for San Diego in 2005, The San Diego Tribune reported.

Hence, here is the list of names officially in play for the San Diego Padres manager position:

  1. Mike Shildt
  2. Ryan Flaherty
  3. Benji Gil
  4. Carlos Mendoza
  5. David Ross

The fourth name on the list, Mendoza, is no longer in the mix. This was after the New York Mets hired him, the New York Post reported.

Who has the inside track?

The remaining names for the Padres team manager position will be a tough one to call. Shildt and Flaherty were interviewed first, followed by Gil and Mendoza.

Shildt is said to be the favorite to get the job, although the feedback on the others does not make him a lock to the position. Flaherty is reportedly a favorite of Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller, while Gil made a good impression as well.

The reported addition of Ross further complicates matters. However, his run with the Cubs could become a factor. In the four seasons he handled Chicago, Ross managed to rack up a 262-284 record and only had one postseason appearance to show in 2020, SI.com reported.

The favorites to land the post are two internal candidates, Flaherty (+500) and Shildt (+600). Ross and Gil cannot be discounted, and the final verdict should be known any time soon.