San Diego Padres appoint Bob Melvin as their new MLB manager on a three-year deal after leaving Oakland Athletics

The San Diego Padres have hired Bob Melvin to a three-year contract as their new manager.

Melvin is a highly-respected figure in baseball and took the Oakland Athletics to the post-season three times in his 11-year tenure as A’s manager.

The Athletics had exercised the option on Melvin’s contract, meaning he expected to manage them in 2022, but allowed him to interview with San Diego. It is reported that the A’s will receive no compensation for this move.

He replaces former manager Jayce Tingler, who failed to guide the World-Series favourite Padres to the post-season and was fired after two unsuccessful seasons on the West coast.

The hire has come as a shock to the baseball world, with Melvin’s name unknown as a candidate, which included the likes of former New York Mets manager Luis Rojas.

The early acquisition of Melvin is a statement of intent by Padres general manager AJ Preller. An intention to forget about a troublesome 2021 season in which issues off the pitch torpedoed their play-off hopes.

By Alex Worth