Padres in search of new skipper with Melvin leaving for Giants

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres will have a managerial vacancy to fill this winter after all.

The Giants announced the hiring of Bob Melvin to become their next manager on Wednesday, an announcement that comes days after they had approached the Padres with a request to interview Melvin. The Padres granted that request, and Melvin took the interview this week. Shortly thereafter, a deal was struck, with Melvin departing after two seasons at the helm in San Diego. The Padres did not receive compensation in return.

A search for the franchise's 23rd manager will begin imminently, with senior advisor Mike Shildt and bench coach/hitting coordinator Ryan Flaherty believed to be the leading internal candidates.

“We obviously appreciate Bob’s contributions here the last two seasons in San Diego, and we wish him the best in San Francisco,” said general manager A.J. Preller. “We understand it was a unique opportunity in San Fran for him to go home -- and the one job that definitely appealed to him outside of San Diego. For us, as an organization, our attention really switches forward to hiring a manager. We’re super excited about the process.”

Melvin went 171-153 across his two seasons in San Diego, leading the Padres to the third National League Championship Series in club history in 2022. But Melvin's second season at the helm was a disappointment. Despite World Series ambitions, the Padres finished 82-80, missing the postseason.

Reports of discord between Melvin and Preller emerged, though both downplayed that assertion toward the end of the season -- and did so again on Wednesday. Still, both Melvin and Preller seemed to acknowledge the fit wasn’t quite right in San Diego. Preller accepted some of the blame, wondering aloud, “How can I do it a little bit different to make sure the manager feels comfortable?” He also noted that he wasn’t sure Melvin fully adjusted to the organizational structure and some of the nuances of the star-laden roster in San Diego.

“As Bob alluded to, I think he felt [San Francisco] was a little better fit,” Preller said. “I think we’ve got to find a manager that fits our group, our organization right now.”

Of course, three weeks ago, at his end-of-season press conference, Preller said that Melvin would return in 2024, calling him "our manager." Melvin still had a year left on his contract, and noted on multiple occasions that he expected to fulfill it.

So what changed?

Well, to start, the Giants called. San Francisco was searching for a replacement after parting with Gabe Kapler. The Padres could've denied that request. Instead, they approached Melvin with the possibility.

Melvin was born in Palo Alto, Calif. and grew up in the Bay Area, where he attended the University of California-Berkeley. He spent three seasons with the Giants from 1986-88 and previously worked with Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi during his time in Oakland. Melvin took time to deliberate, before accepting the interview.

“I had a lot of conversations with A.J.,” Melvin said during his introductory press conference on Wednesday in San Francisco. “When this one came up, this was probably the only one I would’ve listened to. But he was good enough to tell me about it and ask me my thoughts on it.”

At that point, it should’ve been clear to both sides where this was headed. The Padres, after all, had presented Melvin with a chance to move to a division rival. Melvin had accepted it. Sure enough, things moved quickly from there, with Melvin ultimately agreeing to the move.

At his press conference, Melvin was asked directly why he chose the job in San Francisco over remaining in San Diego. He cited his love of the Bay Area. He also mentioned entering what could’ve been a lame-duck season with a one-year contract and an unwelcome narrative surrounding his place with the team. (Melvin signed a three-year deal in San Francisco.) But further than that, Melvin wouldn’t delve too deeply into his decision.

“All things considered, this opportunity came about ... and this feels like the right one for me,” Melvin said. “I very much enjoyed my time in San Diego. It just seems like with a lot of things that were popping up there, it was time to move on.”

Melvin's departure leaves the Padres in search of a manager -- an unexpected prospect, but clearly not entirely unwelcome. Otherwise, the Padres wouldn't have permitted Melvin to interview in the first place. They’ll now embark on a manager search, with those two internal candidates having already risen to the forefront.

Shildt, an advisor in the organization for the past two seasons, previously spent three-plus seasons as Cardinals skipper and was the 2019 NL Manager of the Year. Meanwhile, Flaherty has spent the past four seasons on the Padres’ staff after an eight-year playing career and is highly regarded within the organization.

Both Shildt and Flaherty will garner consideration, a source said, but the Padres also plan to interview external candidates (and perhaps even other internal candidates) with no timetable yet for a potential hire. Melvin’s departure also leaves the status of the San Diego coaching staff up in the air, with the new manager likely to have significant say.

The hire will be a pivotal one -- for Preller and for the Padres. It will mark Preller’s fourth full-time managerial hire in his 10 seasons, after Andy Green, Jayce Tingler and Melvin. As for the Padres, they expect to bring back the core of a roster that they feel can contend for a World Series in 2024.

The question now: Who will be leading that roster in the wake of Melvin’s departure?