The San Diego Padres invested millions in the offseason to extend key players, sign Xander Bogaerts, and make other major moves.
After making the NL Championship Series last year and improving the roster, the front office and the ownership probably expected a lot in 2023.
Yet the squad was only able to earn 82 wins against 80 losses, and shockingly missed the playoffs.
Owner Peter Seidler vowed not to make any rash moves and continue with the same people making decisions: A.J. Preller on the baseball operations side and Bob Melvin as manager.
There is a chance one or both of Preller and Seidler didn’t want Melvin around anymore, though, because the San Francisco Giants, a direct rival in the NL West, asked for permission to interview him for their managerial opening and they didn’t stand in his way.
Melvin was then signed by the Giants, and the Padres appear to be happier without him.
It’s like there was a perfect storm for the Padres: they didn’t have to fire him, but they essentially paved the way for him to pursue another gig and he got it.
The fact that there was no compensation whatsoever is very telling.
“The Padres did not receive compensation for Bob Melvin’s move to SF, Farhan Zaidi says,” Padres insider AJ Cassavell tweeted, quoting Giants chief baseball officer Farhan Zaidi.
The Padres did not receive compensation for Bob Melvin’s move to SF, Farhan Zaidi says.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) October 25, 2023
Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year winner, will now lead the Giants while the Padres look for a new skipper.
Perhaps the Melvin – Padres marriage wasn’t as smooth as it looked to be last year.
If a team wants to retain its manager, it will at least fight for him.
This wasn’t the case.
NEXT: Giants Make Monumental Hire Official
