The Padres are set to hire veteran manager Bob Melvin, luring him away from the Oakland Athletics, MLB.com reported Thursday.
ESPN and The Athletic confirmed reports of the three-year deal Melvin is said to have signed.
The Padres did not announce bringing on Melvin, but MLB said the team should finalize the hire in “the next day or two.”
Melvin replaces Jayce Tingler, who the Padres fired three days after their disappointing season ended.
The Padres had been expected to contend for the National League West title, but faded down the stretch and finished with a 79-83 record.
Melvin, who turned 60 Thursday, will manage his fourth team when he joins the Padres.
The resume for his post-playing days – he was a catcher from 1985-94 – includes:
- Managerial stints with the Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Athletics, with whom he spent the past decade.
- Winning the Manager of the Year award in both leagues – the first time in the NL, in 2007, then in the American League in 2012 and 2018.
- A NL West title in 2007, three AL West titles and three appearances in AL wild-card games.
- Front-office posts between managerial jobs – as a scout for the New York Mets and special baseball adviser to the Diamondbacks’ president.
Despite several post-season trips though, Melvin’s teams have yet to win a pennant or a World Series.
Those reported to have been considered for the Padres’ top job include former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and Atlanta Brave coach (and former Texas Rangers manager) Ron Washington.
There was even some sentiment for former Padres skipper Bruce Bochy, who retired from the San Francisco Giants after leading the team to three World Series titles.
According to MLB, the Padres’ search led to interviews with “around a half-dozen candidates.”