Padres to keep manager Bud Black, after firing GM Josh Byrnes

When the San Diego Padres fired their general manager Josh Byrnes and hired the now former assistant general manager of the Texas Rangers A.J. Preller to replace him, there was speculation that manager Bud Black‘s job with the team might also be in jeopardy.

According to a report Sunday by MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom,

According to Bloom, Preller said of Black,

"“Like I said from the beginning, I viewed it as Buddy is our manager,” Preller said. “I had a chance to really enjoy the last month, to get to know him more on a day-to-day basis, getting to be around him and getting his thoughts on the team and his thoughts on baseball in general.“I came from afar and had a very positive feel for Buddy. I think being up close, being with him day to day, probably strengthened that bond, honestly.”"

Black, 57, will be in the final year of his contract in 2015. Black has a 613-676 record in eight seasons managing the Padres and was National League Manager of the Year in 2010, which was the last year the Padres had a winning record. They are currently 73-81 and in third place in the N.L. West after the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.

Black was a pitcher in the big leagues for 15-seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants. He is one of just three pitchers who are currently skippers of Major League ball clubs, the other two are John Farrell the manager of the Boston Red Sox and Bryan Price who is with the Cincinnati Reds.

Black was a member of the 1985 World Champion Kansas City Royals and has a career 3.84 ERA in 398 appearances, the majority of which were as a starter.

He was the assistant GM of the Cleveland Indians before becoming a pitching coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim from 200-2006. He then took over for Bruce Bochy as the skipper for the Padres, where he has been for the past eight seasons and where, it appears, he will remain in 2015.