Mark McGwire reportedly stepping down as Padres bench coach

The San Diego Padres will take the field with a little less muscle in the dugout in 2019. Bench coach Mark McGwire is reportedly stepping down from his position, according to A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com.

McGwire informed the team he was leaving his position to spend more time with his family. McGwire had been with the franchise for three seasons.

The move comes as a bit of a shock, considering McGwire had been coaching for nearly 10 seasons. He joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a hitting coach following the 2009 season. The move was met with controversy due to McGwire’s connection to using performance-enhancing drugs during his playing career. But as the years passed and McGwire acquitted himself as a solid coach, those concerns quieted down.

Following his stint in St. Louis, McGwire spent a few seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before going to the Padres in 2015.

Along the way, McGwire has drawn some interest as a future major-league manager. In July, McGwire was considered a candidate to take over in St. Louis after the Cardinals fired Mike Matheny. The Cardinals gave Mike Shildt a crack at the job as an interim manager, but decided to make the move permanent after Shildt led the club to a 41-28 record.

For now, McGwire’s future within the game is unclear. The 55-year-old seemed well regarded by teams, and voluntarily walked away from the Padres. McGwire could draw interest from clubs if he ever decides to resume his coaching career.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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