Bob Melvin will return as manager of the San Diego Padres next season, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- “Bob is our manager, and he’s going to be our manager going forward,” Preller said. “Both he and I are very excited about the challenge of getting this group back to the postseason next year.”
- The Padres opened this season with a $249 million payroll — a franchise record and the third-highest in the majors. They missed the postseason after going 82-80.
- The 61-year-old Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year who joined the team in 2021, was expected to be a candidate for other managerial openings around the league if he didn’t return to San Diego.
“Bob is our manager, and he’s going to be our manager going forward,” A.J. Preller said of Bob Melvin. “Both he and I are very excited about the challenge of getting this group back to the postseason next year.”
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) October 4, 2023
Backstory
The Padres won 20 of their last 27 games to eke out their second full winning season under Preller. They also spent most of their first 135 games in fourth place, a catastrophic stretch that followed a run to the 2022 National League Championship Series and an offseason of extravagant spending.
Along the way, a disconnect between Melvin and Preller that league sources said formed early in their partnership turned into one of baseball’s worst-kept secrets.
San Diego owes Melvin $4 million on a deal that runs through 2024.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)
