[Lin] Former Padres catcher and longtime broadcaster Carlos Hernández has shown interest in the team’s managerial job. The Padres began interviews Monday with bench coach Brian Esposito. Albert Pujols interviews Wednesday, with Ruben Niebla and Mark Loretta also in consideration.
If Niebla really wants it, give it to him. I trust him to find his replacement for the pitching staff. I know the players like him.
But, if we go with someone else, make sure Ruben is locked down. I don’t want him poached for some other team to hire as manager. If he’s not managing here, I want him coaching here.
As a Loretta fan from his playing days, him as manager would trip me out in the same way it’s trippy that Chris Young is now GM of the Rangers.
Would prefer Niebla stay as pitching coach. He is the GOAT. As someone else mentioned need to lock him down as staff before someone poaches him as a manager.
Give me Nick Hundley
Not Ruben just yet. He should be manager once the rebuild starts and he can have plenty of time to build his team and culture. I would hate to lose a pitching coach like him. Managers are a ticking time bomb to be fired.
How much management has Hernandez done? If he’s been a broadcaster for a long time that doesn’t seem like a serious candidate.
I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about any of the people whose names have popped up, except that none of them have the obvious qualifications to take a 90-win team over the hump and past the Dodgers.
Hernandez knows the game well. I hear him all the time with Eduardo Ortega. I wouldn’t mind him, Pujols, or Niebla taking the helm.
Mark Loretta mentioned??
I think Carlos Hernández would actually be a really solid pick for Padres manager. He’s got deep roots with the team — he was the starting catcher for the ’98 World Series run and stayed with San Diego through 2000, so he knows the organization and city really well.
After his playing days, he built a ton of relevant experience. He managed the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League back in 2004, then came back to the Padres as a catching coordinator from 2005 to 2007. On top of that, he managed Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League from 2006 to 2008 — not an easy gig, and it shows he’s got real managerial chops.
Since 2012 he’s been part of the Padres’ Spanish-language broadcast team on Fox Deportes and XEMO radio, connecting with fans and players in a different way. His bilingual background is a big plus for a diverse clubhouse, and he clearly understands both the player side and media side of the game. If the Padres want someone who understands the franchise inside and out, can communicate across cultures, and already has real managing experience under his belt, Hernández checks a lot of boxes.
I am leaning towards Niebla, especially if he gets an offer to be a Manager for another Club.
If we’re hiring a broadcaster, I vote for Mark Grant
![[Lin] Former Padres catcher and longtime broadcaster Carlos Hernández has shown interest in the team’s managerial job. The Padres began interviews Monday with bench coach Brian Esposito. Albert Pujols interviews Wednesday, with Ruben Niebla and Mark Loretta also in consideration.](https://www.rawchili.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/yus5lsia1iwf1.jpeg)
15 comments
How do you guys think niebla would do? You hear that the team respects him but managing a whole team is a lot different than what he’s doing now.
I’m team Ruben.
[there’s a great article from a few months ago about his connection to Fermin](https://www.mlb.com/news/freddy-fermin-relationship-with-carlos-hernandez?adobe_mc=TS%3D1761068054%7CMCMID%3D56805466304641940608526568132564609984%7CMCORGID%3DA65F776A5245B01B0A490D44@AdobeOrg&affiliateId=mlbapp-ios_webview_news-index&rsid=mlbios.at.bat.new.implementation)
If Niebla really wants it, give it to him. I trust him to find his replacement for the pitching staff. I know the players like him.
But, if we go with someone else, make sure Ruben is locked down. I don’t want him poached for some other team to hire as manager. If he’s not managing here, I want him coaching here.
As a Loretta fan from his playing days, him as manager would trip me out in the same way it’s trippy that Chris Young is now GM of the Rangers.
Would prefer Niebla stay as pitching coach. He is the GOAT. As someone else mentioned need to lock him down as staff before someone poaches him as a manager.
Give me Nick Hundley
Not Ruben just yet. He should be manager once the rebuild starts and he can have plenty of time to build his team and culture. I would hate to lose a pitching coach like him. Managers are a ticking time bomb to be fired.
How much management has Hernandez done? If he’s been a broadcaster for a long time that doesn’t seem like a serious candidate.
I can’t think of a single bad thing to say about any of the people whose names have popped up, except that none of them have the obvious qualifications to take a 90-win team over the hump and past the Dodgers.
Hernandez knows the game well. I hear him all the time with Eduardo Ortega. I wouldn’t mind him, Pujols, or Niebla taking the helm.
Mark Loretta mentioned??
I think Carlos Hernández would actually be a really solid pick for Padres manager. He’s got deep roots with the team — he was the starting catcher for the ’98 World Series run and stayed with San Diego through 2000, so he knows the organization and city really well.
After his playing days, he built a ton of relevant experience. He managed the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League back in 2004, then came back to the Padres as a catching coordinator from 2005 to 2007. On top of that, he managed Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League from 2006 to 2008 — not an easy gig, and it shows he’s got real managerial chops.
Since 2012 he’s been part of the Padres’ Spanish-language broadcast team on Fox Deportes and XEMO radio, connecting with fans and players in a different way. His bilingual background is a big plus for a diverse clubhouse, and he clearly understands both the player side and media side of the game. If the Padres want someone who understands the franchise inside and out, can communicate across cultures, and already has real managing experience under his belt, Hernández checks a lot of boxes.
I am leaning towards Niebla, especially if he gets an offer to be a Manager for another Club.
If we’re hiring a broadcaster, I vote for Mark Grant