Jeff Passan, ESPN
The San Diego Padres granted permission for supervisor Bob Melvin to interview with the San Francisco Giants, resources informed ESPN, paving the best way for an interdivision managerial exchange and the tip of a contentious two-year dating between Melvin and the Padres.
Hour league resources believed the potential for Melvin rising because the lead candidate in San Francisco have been logical, the insufficiency of 1 supervisor leaping to a section rival presen nonetheless below guarantee dampened the likelihood. Granting permission makes Melvin the cloudless favourite for the San Francisco activity, despite the fact that as a result of he’s nonetheless below guarantee with the Padres for one yr at $4 million, the staff may pursue reimbursement if he’s the Giants’ option to replace Gabe Kapler.
The Padres stated in early October they meant to secure Melvin and common supervisor A.J. Preller, even later the gradual break in their partnership because the Padres’ near-$250 million roster produced 82 wins and a third-place end within the Nationwide League West. Melvin’s arrival in October 2021 have been observable as a coup for the Padres, as he left his activity — presen nonetheless below guarantee with the Oakland A’s — later 11 seasons, with an 853-764 report and 6 playoff appearances. Accept as true with between him and Preller by no means evolved, and resources believed their dating used to be past restore in spite of the family proclamation that each would go back for the 2024 season.
“From my standpoint, a lot’s been overblown,” Preller stated when saying his and Melvin’s go back. “There are reports we don’t speak, and we’re talking four or five times a day. Personally, we have a friendship. All those things, I don’t put a lot of stock into the unnamed reports and sources and stories that are out of context. I think it’s really hard to comment on those things unless you have real specifics and details and names attached to those things.
“Bob is our supervisor,” Preller added. “He’s getting to be our supervisor in the future. A bundle’s been stated, clearly, within the utmost few weeks, however each he and I are very serious about the problem of having this staff again to the postseason nearest yr. From that viewpoint, a bundle’s been stated, and I believe with Bob and myself, I believe, simply even within the utmost couple days, you get a prospect to recap and have a look at some various things, and either one of us really feel in point of fact excellent with the place issues are at shifting ahead.”
The Giants’ request for permission to talk with Melvin, first reported by The Athletic, came early in the week, sources said. Were Melvin — who has also previously managed Seattle and Arizona and has a career record of 1,517-1,425 — to be hired, it wouldn’t be the first time a Padres manager under contract left for San Francisco. After 12 seasons as San Diego manager, Bruce Bochy absconded to San Francisco, where he won three World Series.
San Francisco has been unable to recapture its glory days since Bochy, now managing the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series, retired and was replaced by Kapler before the 2020 season. The Giants fired Kapler on Sept. 29, three days before the end of a 79-83 season that wasn’t as disappointing as the Padres’ but saw attendance flatline. It was the second consecutive mediocre season after an NL West-winning 107-55 campaign in 2021.
San Francisco had already talked with internal candidates, including bench coach Kai Correa, third base coach Mark Hallberg and assistant coach Alyssa Nakken, who became the first woman to interview for a major league managerial position. If Melvin does go to San Francisco, he is expected to receive relative autonomy in filling out his staff, with only a few coaching holdovers certain, sources said.
San Diego, with a star-filled lineup that includes Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, would immediately become the one of the more attractive jobs available. Should Melvin leave, the new manager would be the fourth full-time hire for Preller since he joined the Padres in 2014. Two internal candidates are likely to receive significant consideration, sources said: senior adviser Mike Shildt and bench coach Ryan Flaherty.
Shildt, 55, is a former St. Louis Cardinals manager who joined the Padres before the 2022 season. In his 3½ years running the Cardinals, he went 252-199 with playoff appearances in each of his three full seasons. St. Louis surprisingly fired him following the 2021 season, in which it went 90-72 and lost in the NL wild-card game. Flaherty, 37, spent eight years as a major league utilityman and was promoted to bench coach and offensive coordinator before 2023 after spending the previous four years as a quality-control coach.
While rare, managers have jumped to division rivals still under contract. The most recent occurrence followed the 2012 season, when Toronto Blue Jays supervisor John Farrell was at the Boston Red Sox. As compensation, the Red Sox sent infielder Mike Aviles to Toronto, which traded reliever David Carpenter back to Boston.
Currently, three teams in addition to San Francisco are looking for new managers: Cleveland, the place Terry Francona stepped away from managing; the New York Mets, who fired Buck Showalter; and the Los Angeles Angels, who declined the option on Phil Nevin’s contract for 2024.
Milwaukee supervisor Craig Counsell, considered one of the vital recreation’s perfect, may clash the seen marketplace, too, along with his guarantee poised to run out on the finish of the presen.
