San Diego just couldn’t wait any longer.
The Padres fired manager Andy Green on Saturday, the team announced with eight games left.
Green was 274-366 during his four-year tenure, including 69-85 this season (4th in the NL West). Though it’s unusual for managers to be fired this late in the season, the move allows the rebuilding franchise to get a head-start on other teams in finding a new manager.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, but one we felt was necessary at this time to take our organization to the next level and expedite the process of bringing a championship to San Diego,” said GM A.J. Preller. “Our search for a new manager will begin immediately.”
Bench coach Rod Barajas will serve as the interim manager in the meantime, with his first game in charge coming Saturday night against the Diamondbacks.
The Padres, while a long shot to make the playoffs this season, were expected to take a step forward with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. — who played only 84 games before a back injury ended his season — leading the way.