Giants reportedly hiring Padres manager Bob Melvin for same role

The first managerial job of the MLB offseason is off the board.

The San Francisco Giants are hiring San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin for the same role, The Athletic reported Tuesday. The Padres granted the Giants permission to interview Melvin, allowing San Francisco to move quickly in the process of hiring him. 

Melvin is a three-time MLB Manager of the Year winner whom the Padres hired from the Oakland Athletics in November 2021, leading San Diego to the NLCS in 2022. But the manager reportedly clashed with Padres general manager A.J. Preller and only had one year left on his contract after San Diego's disappointing 82-80 season in 2023. 

Melvin, who turns 62 later in October and is a Bay Area native, reportedly interviewed with the Giants on Monday. 

Entering his 21st season as a manager, Melvin will take over an NL West team that similarly disappointed in 2023. The Giants went 79-83, missing the playoffs for the second straight season after recording an MLB-best 107 wins in 2021. The back-to-back regular-season shortcomings of the Giants led them to fire Gabe Kapler, who was in his fourth season at the helm. 

As the Giants look to get back to the postseason, they turn to a manager who's made the playoffs more often than not since he became the Athletics' manager in 2011. He made the postseason in six of his 11 seasons in Oakland before making it once in two seasons with the Padres. He had some struggles though prior to joining the Athletics, missing the playoffs in both of his seasons with the Mariners and making it just once in his five seasons with the Diamondbacks. 

The terms of Melvin's agreement with the Giants are reportedly unknown. 

As for the Padres, they replace the Giants as one of four MLB teams with a current managerial opening. The Angels, Guardians and Mets are also searching for new managers.