SAN DIEGO — The Padres wanted a manager with experience, clout and a history of success.
They got him. Bob Melvin will be the next manager of the San Diego Padres, sources confirmed on Thursday. Melvin and the Padres have agreed to a three-year deal.
The team has not yet announced the signing, but the move is expected to be finalized in the next day or two. The A’s had picked up Melvin’s contract option for the 2022 season, but they agreed to let him interview with the Padres, who will not send Oakland any compensation in return.
Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year Award winner, spent 11 seasons with Oakland, after prior stints with the D-backs and Mariners. He owns a .514 career winning percentage. He has helmed Oakland to four consecutive winning seasons.
Melvin takes over a Padres team that finished 79-83 this season, despite entering the year with World Series aspirations. Manager Jayce Tingler was dismissed shortly after the season, and the Padres embarked on a search process that lasted 3 1/2 weeks and saw them interview around a half-dozen candidates, sources said.
Ultimately, the team settled on the 60-year-old Melvin as the right man to help the Padres realize those World Series ambitions.
