Rumor: Longtime manager would be "fit" for SF Giants vacancy

The SF Giants decided to part ways with manager Gabe Kapler on Friday. The search has not begun just yet, but the speculation certainly has. Buster Olney of ESPN cited industry speculation that San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin could be a fit for the Giants' gig.

Rumor: Longtime manager would be "fit" for SF Giants vacancy

On paper, it makes sense given that Melvin has ties to Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi dating back to their days with the Oakland A's. Zaidi's first role in baseball was with the A's.

He began his career in an operations position but quickly rose up to Director of Operations and Assistant General Manager with Oakland. He was hired away by the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2014 season before landing with the Giants in 2018.

On the other hand, Melvin has managed for 20 seasons. This included a 11-year run with the A's that concided with Zaidi's tenure. In a bit of a surprise, Melvin departed the A's following the 2021 season to join a star-studded Padres squad.

San Diego had the talent on the field, but wanted a more experienced manager, so they want with Melvin. That hire looked to be a huge success in the first season as the team won 89 games and made it to the playoffs. However, the Padres have fallen short of expectations this year as they will finish outside of the playoff picture.

The Padres have been in the news a lot lately as it is expected that they will slash payroll this winter. On top of that, there have been rumors of tension between Melvin and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. For now, San Diego indicated that both will be back for next season.

Though, Buster Olney's speculation is no surprise given that Melvin might prefer a role with more autonomy. Of course, that might not be the only reason San Francisco makes sense. The longtime manager grew up in Palo Alto, California. He attended high school in Atherton and community college in Redwood City. Plus, he played for the Giants for three seasons in the mid-1980's.

If the Giants want to go with experience and someone who is well-regarded throughout baseball, it is hard to find a better candidate than Melvin. This assumes that he will be available.