SF Giants officially announce Bob Melvin as next manager

It was only a matter of time before the SF Giants hired Bob Melvin after he was granted permission to interview for the opening. On Wednesday, They officially announced the hiring and will hold an introductory press conference on the same day of the announcement.

SF Giants set to announce Bob Melvin as next manager

As soon as the Giants parted ways with Gabe Kapler, Melvin's name was one of the first names mentioned as his replacement. The only problem was that he was under contract with the San Diego Padres through 2024.

The Padres maintained that he and team president of baseball operations A.J. Preller would return next season. The Giants never wavered in their pursuit of Melvin and they were allowed to interview the longtime manager this past weekend.

That interview seemed to be a formality as Melvin had been their top target all along. Giants team president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has known Melvin for a long time. They both worked for the Oakland A's in the early 2010's with Melvin as the manager and Zaidi as an assistant manager. Melvin managed the A's for 11 seasons before leaving them for the Padres prior to the 2022 season.

Oakland was expected to go through a major teardown of the roster, so Melvin was given the opportunity to explore other opportunities. He was seemingly a great fit for a star-studded Padres roster, but he and Preller just did not mesh well from the start.

The Padres reached the NLCS in 2022 and began the season with playoff expectations, but posted an 82-80 overall record. Admittedly, Melvin will be assigned some of the blame for the team's struggles, but there was a clear leadership void with the key players on the roster. There is only so much a manager can do to try someone to step up and be the leader.

This opened the door for a potential exit for Melvin and it is probably the best for both parties. The 61-year-old returns home to manage the team he cheered for as a kid and player for during this career. This is a really cool hire for a lot of reasons.

Across 20 seasons, Melvin has posted a .516 winning percentage and 1,517 wins. His win total ranks third among active managers assuming that Dusty Baker retires. You do not get to that point without being well-respected throughout baseball, having success, and importantly, managing good rosters.

The addition of Melvin should help the Giants in free agency as he holds credibility throughout baseball. The next step will be putting together a good coaching staff and getting ready for next season. Among the known candidates, Melvin was clearly the best candidate from the bunch.