Sportico’s Barry M. Bloom spoke to Bochy recently and the veteran skipper, currently a consultant with the San Francisco Giants, said his health has recovered well enough that he’s open to the idea of taking a manager position again in MLB.

"I think I’ll just say what I’ve been saying: I don’t think you rule anything out,” said Bochy, who was also the Padres backup catcher on the 1984 NL championship team. “I’ve enjoyed doing what I’ve been doing, working with the Giants, going through the minor league affiliates. I went to spring training for a couple of weeks, but you never say never. That’s my mindset.”

So what about the manager and coaching staff? Jayce Tingler is in his first full season after last year’s COVID-shortened campaign and had no managerial experience (and little major-league coaching experience) when hired by the Padres. Following the dismissal of another first-time manager in Andy Green, Tingler was a curious hire by general manager A.J. Preller.

Though Tingler’s lack of experience isn’t disqualifying, it does raise doubt when reporters like the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s Kevin Acee write, “Manager Jayce Tingler does not possess the sway to have quashed a situation that had been brewing for weeks.”

And when a manager lacking pedigree fails, the natural impulse is to bring an opposite figure in as a replacement. Would the Padres have played better with a veteran manager such as Buck Showalter, Mike Scioscia, or John Farrell? What if Preller had hired Joe Maddon or Joe Girardi when they were available?

If Bochy is open to being a manager again, how can the Padres not call him? As he told Bloom, then-team chairman Ron Fowler inquired after Bochy retired from the Giants in 2019. But he wasn’t interested then. Bochy needed a break. He needed to recover from heart issues and other health concerns. Apparently, however, he’s doing well now.