For the second time in three years, Bob Melvin is switching teams – and now, he’s going back to the Bay Area.
The 61-year-old is reportedly set to become the next manager of his NL West rival in the San Francisco Giants.
Melvin said shortly after the regular season ended that he was “looking forward to having a much better year” next season with the San Diego Padres, whom he joined prior to the 2022 season.
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San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change during the Giants game at Oracle Park on Sept. 25, 2023, in San Francisco. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
However, in recent weeks, Melvin was granted permission to interview for the vacant Giants position after they had fired Gabe Kapler.
Melvin joined the Padres after spending 11 seasons as the manager of the Oakland Athletics – similar to this process, Melvin was given permission to interview with the club after the 2021 season.
San Diego was set for a monstrous season after they made the National League Championship Series following multiple blockbusters at least year’s trade deadline, including when they acquired Juan Soto and Josh Hader in separate deals. Over the offseason, they signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million deal, and there were also reports they offered Aaron Judge around $400 million.
Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a home run against the Tigers at Comerica Park on July 21, 2023, in Detroit. (Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
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However, it was a disappointing season in southern California, as the Padres went 82-80 and missed the postseason.
As for San Francisco, they canned Kapler after going 79-83. The 2021 Giants won 107 games, but went 81-81 the following season and got even worse this year.
Melvin is a Palo Alto native and went to UC Berkeley, so he returns close to home. He also played for the Giants for three years.
He is a three-time Manager of the Year, winning in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and in 2012 and 2018 with the A’s.
San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin gestures while talking to umpire Manny Gonzalez during Giants game in San Francisco, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
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The Giants would be Melvin’s seventh team, and the 2024 season would be his 21st as a manager.