Melvin leaving A’s for Padres
Skipper had managed Oakland for 11 seasons
The Oakland A’s will be on the hunt for a new manager after news dropped that Bob Melvin agreed to a three-year deal with the San Diego Padres, sources confirmed to this news organization on Thursday night.
Melvin, 60, is a Bay Area native who managed the team for 11 seasons and opted into his contract option this spring with the A’s. His contract in Oakland would have been up after the 2022 season, and there was little indication the A’s would re-sign him with the team’s on-field payroll expected to drop significantly.
The A’s granted Melvin permission to discuss the opening with the Padres — who parted ways with manager Jayce Tingler after the season — reportedly without any compensation.
The departure came as a shock because Melvin had not been linked to the San Diego job.
Melvin was reportedly being considered to fill the vacant New York Mets managerial job, but those rumors died when longtime A’s executive Billy Beane removed his name for consideration for the Mets vice president of baseball operations position earlier this month. Rumors surrounding the Padres’ potential candidates had swirled even before Tingler was fired — former Giants manager Bruce Bochy was among the first wave of suspected targets — and just this week it was revealed that the team had interviewed former White Sox and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. It also appeared the Padres might be waiting to talk to Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington, currently competing in the World Series.
It turns out the Padres, armed with a loaded roster led by superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., had their sights set on Melvin helping get them past the Giants and the Dodgers in the NL West.
Melvin passed Tony LaRussa and became the winningest manager in Oakland team history this season, and guided the team to the playoff six times, winning the AL West three times. The A’s missed the playoffs following three straight postseason berths.
Players he managed spoke highly of Melvin’s ability to handle difficult discussions and help bring out the best in them. A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt has said he credits Melvin,
among others, for helping his career blossom.
“At the end of the day, Bo Mel means way more to me than just the game of baseball,” Bassitt said in a text message. “I wish him nothing but the very best no matter where he is.”
The A’s went 853-764 under Melvin after he took over for Bob Geren in the middle of the 2011 season. Overall, his managerial record is 1,346-1,272 with Seattle, Arizona and the A’s.
Melvin’s departure could signal dark offseasons to come for the A’s. Their $89,650,598 payroll ranked 21st in baseball is expected to be reduced for the 2022
season.
While the organization is making strides towards building a new ballpark development at Howard Terminal, ownership has slashed costs internally and doubled season ticket prices since the pandemic began. With 10 players arbitration eligible, 10 free agents and two with club options, the A’s 2021 roster could look a lot different in 2022 outside of the manager’s spot.
Both the Padres and A’s have yet to announce the move officially. The next step will be replacing Melvin, who was one of the few constants in an ever-changing A’s organization. Third
base coach Mark Kotsay has interviewed for managerial positions on other teams before and could be in line to replace Melvin at the helm.