The San Diego Padres needed a shakeup after a disappointing end to their season. On Thursday, they seemingly got it. The Padres have reportedly hired Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin as their new skipper, giving him a three-year contract.
News of the hiring was first reported by Padres writer AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, and ESPN reporter Alden Gonzalez later gave further confirmation. The A’s had already picked up Melvin’s option for 2022, but, according to Cassavell, they allowed him to interview for the vacant Padres position. Thus, the A’s will receive no compensation for Melvin joining the Padres, according to Gonzalez.
Padres Hire Bob Melvin
Melvin will succeed Jayce Tingler, who was fired after two seasons with San Diego. Heading into the 2021 season, many considered the Padres to be top contenders for the NL West crown. They were coming off a postseason appearance in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and had even higher expectations for this year. While they lived up to the hype early on, they struggled late in the season. San Diego finished the year at 79-83, well out of contention in an NL West with two 100+ win teams. The Padres let Tingler go on October 6th. Rolling the dice by hiring Tingler in 2020 appeared to be the right move for the Padres at first. After all, he did lead them to their first postseason since 2006. Finishing with a losing record after this year’s hot start, however, it is clear why the Padres lost confidence in Tingler.
News that the Padres hired Bob Melvin came quite unexpectedly, as he was already under contract with Oakland for next season. Furthermore, he’d had the longest active managerial tenure with one team, as he became the A’s manager midway through the 2011 season. However, the news is likely a welcome surprise for Padres fans. Bringing in someone with tons of experience to manage a young team is a smart move on paper.
The talent is certainly there for San Diego. With a core consisting of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Eric Hosmer, along with a good supporting cast including Jake Cronenworth, the results should come at some point. Melvin, who led Oakland to six postseason appearances in 11 years, might be just the guy to deliver those results. He has a reputation for bringing out the best in his players. Let’s see if he continues that in San Diego.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Managers/Players Mentioned:
Bob Melvin, Jayce Tingler, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, Jake Cronenworth
