Padres manager accepts job with Giants: report

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants have signed manager Bob Melvin from division rival San Diego Padres, three people with direct knowledge of the deal said Tuesday.

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither team had made a formal announcement about Melvin’s hiring – which would likely be official late Tuesday night. The Athletic first reported that Melvin was the Giants’ pick.

Melvin, 61, will return to the Bay Area, where he grew up, cheered for and later played for the Giants and then managed the Oakland Athletics from 2011-21. An introductory press conference is planned for Wednesday.

Melvin has one year left on his contract with San Diego, but leaves due to reports of friction with general manager AJ Preller. Melvin led the Padres for two seasons and reached the 2022 NL Championship Series, but then missed the playoffs this season with a payroll of $258 million, third-most in the majors. It’s unclear if the Padres will receive compensation.

Melvin, a three-time manager of the year who won in both leagues, posted a 171-153 record with the big-spending Padres and will begin his 21st season as manager next year. He has a career record of 1,517-1,425 with eight postseason appearances while coaching Arizona, Seattle, Oakland and San Diego.

Melvin is from nearby Palo Alto, California and loves the Bay Area. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986 to 1988.

Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, had hoped to find a new manager by the start of free agency to replace Gabe Kapler, who was fired three days before the end of the season. Kapler posted a 295-248 record in three-plus seasons, leading a franchise-record 107 wins, to edge out the 106-win Dodgers for the NL West title in 2021 before falling in the final two Missed the playoffs for several seasons.

___

AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson in San Diego contributed to this report.