Padres Adds Matt Williams, David Macias to the Coaching Board

The Padres are “on track” to add Matt Williams as their new third junior coach, by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Britt Ghiroli and Dennis Lin of The Athletic report that Williams is indeed set to join the staff (Twitter link), added that the Monks were also named East Carolina University assistant coach David Macias their first new junior coach. The Padres are also hiring former Mariners bench coach Jared Sandberg as their new Triple-A captain, according to Ghiroli and Lin.

Williams, 56, managed the National team from 2014-15 and was even named National Team Coach of the Year in 2014. He’s quite familiar with the upcoming Padres captain as Bob Melvin, served as Melvin’s third junior coach in Oakland from 2018-19. Williams also spent 5 years on the payroll of the D-back’ Major League, from 2010-13 and again in 2016 where he served as the third junior coach and the first junior coach. He has spent the past two seasons in Korea, managing the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization. Lin reported earlier this week that the Padres has spoken to Williams about joining the team as Melvin’s new third-base coach.

Of course, Williams is also known for a stellar playing career that spanned 17 Major League seasons. A five-time All-Star, four-time Golden Glove, four-time Silver Slugger, and 2001 World Series champion with a backstroke, Williams made 378 home runs while hitting a .268/. 317 / .489 in plate 7595 appeared from 1987-2003. He took home the MVP votes four times, finishing second in 1994, third in 1999, and sixth in both 1990 and 1993.

Although 35-year-old Macias is joining the Padres staff from college level, he’s no stranger to working with Major League clubs. The former Vanderbilt player was a Cubs round 19 pick in 2008 and played four minor seasons with them. He spent 2016-17 working with the Mariners, first as their international player program coordinator and staff system coordinator, then as manager of the Seattle’s Class branch- A in Clinton.

Macias has left the Mariners to work with the coaching staff at his alma mater, Vanderbilt, and only joined the ECU coaching staff this past summer. He worked specifically with catchers and bystanders at the ECU, though it’s unclear if he did the same with the Padres.

The Padres have yet to officially announce their 2022 staff, although Lin tweets which they plan to do so next week.