According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego Padres have reportedly secured a multi-year deal with pitching coach.
The agreement is not unexpected, as the Padres had stated after the season that they aimed to finalize an extension with Niebla.
“We’re going to reward the people that perform,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said recently, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. “Ruben’s been a big performer. Looking forward to him being a big part of the Padres organization for a long time.”
“We’re looking forward to him being a big part of the Padre organization,” Preller said of Niebla.
Ruben Niebla joined the Padres as pitching coach in October 2021 and just wrapped up his third season with the team. In 2024, under his leadership, the Padres posted a 3.86 ERA (12th in MLB) and recorded 1,453 strikeouts (6th). Heading into the postseason, the Padres boasted one of the league’s most dominant rotations, with Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove all performing at a high level. This strong pitching staff played a crucial role in helping the Padres reach the playoffs and finish the season with a 93-69 record.
The Padres have focused on retaining their coaching staff early this offseason. Recently, they extended manager Mike Shildt to a multi-year contract through 2027. Shildt took over as manager following Bob Melvin’s departure last year and was initially signed to a two-year deal. This extension ensures he’ll remain with the team for at least two more years.
San Diego made the Shildt extension official earlier this week, with GM A.J. Preller praising his leadership. Preller stated, “As Mike demonstrated this year, he has an unwavering commitment to winning and a unique set of skills that got our group to perform at a high level. He possesses a true love for this team and the game of baseball, and I am thrilled to continue to work together with Mike to bring a championship to the City of San Diego.”
Shildt also expressed his excitement, saying, “I am honored to continue leading this team toward Peter Seidler’s vision of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”
With both Shildt and Niebla now signed for the foreseeable future, the Padres have secured two of the most crucial components of their coaching staff as they strive for their first-ever World Series title.
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