Melvin now Giants manager front-runner as Padres grant interview

Source: Melvin now Giants manager front-runner as Padres grant interview originally appeared on
NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — In the aftermath of Gabe Kapler’s firing as manager, San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller held a press conference where he announced that Bob Melvin would remain as their manager, despite widespread rumors suggesting otherwise.

“Bob is and will continue to be our manager,” stated Preller.

However, the Giants had a different perspective on the matter.

Sources close to the Giants have revealed that Melvin has emerged as the front-runner to replace Kapler as manager, despite him not being officially available. This changed recently when the Giants received permission to interview Melvin, as reported by The Athletic.

Melvin immediately becomes the leading candidate for the managerial position, a role the Giants aim to fill before the start of free agency. With a long-standing relationship with president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who was with the A’s during Melvin’s tenure, and support at the ownership level, Melvin possesses strong backing within the organization, according to sources familiar with the search.

Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year, would complete a journey along the West Coast if hired by the Giants, having previously managed the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, A’s, and Padres.

Born in the Bay Area, Melvin attended Menlo-Atherton High School and Cal before embarking on a playing career that included three seasons as a catcher for the Giants in the 1980s. The 61-year-old manager has accumulated 1,517 wins thus far but is still in pursuit of his first World Series title.

Internally, the Giants considered candidates such as Kai Correa, Mark Hallberg, and Alyssa Nakken, while their external search involved former catchers Stephen Vogt and Jason Varitek. Unfortunately, Nick Hundley declined the opportunity to interview, as reported by The Athletic.

The focus of the search now shifts to Melvin, who reportedly had disagreements with Preller during the Padres’ disappointing season. Sixteen years after acquiring Bruce Bochy from San Diego, the Giants appear poised to repeat the process with another former big league catcher.

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