Athletics bring back ex-Padres manager for role away from the dugout

Though his tenure in San Diego was short lived, Bob Melvin's legacy as a manger is all but secure. A three-time Manager of the Year (2007, 2012, 2018), he was responsible for the furthest Padres postseason run since 1998 when he led the Friars to the 2022 NLCS.

Now, after a two-year stint as the San Francisco Giants' skipper, Melvin is returning to the franchise where he made a real name for himself — the Athletics are hiring him as a special assistant to the baseball operations department.

It marks the end of the 64-year-old's NL West tour (which also includes a five-year stretch with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2005-09) and also possibly the conclusion of his 22-season managerial career.

Bob Melvin re-joins Athletics as baseball operations assistant, potentially ending coaching career for former Padres manager

Melvin was at the helm during the A's long period of success in the 2010s, posting an 853-764 record while leading the franchise to the playoffs six times (three division titles) in 11 years.

That brilliance with a budget-restricted team led A.J. Preller and the Padres to aggressively pursure him during the 2021-22 offseason, and the early returns were solid — Melvin and the Friars won 89 games en route to an NLCS appearance in his first season leading the charge.

Unfortunately, the wheels fell off soon after. An 82-80 record and lots of public bickering resulted in the team missing the playoffs in 2023, and the Giants pounced on the opportunity to get Melvin out of San Diego. Now, after two years in San Francisco, the longtime skipper will join his longtime bench coach Ryan Christenson back in Oakland/Sacramento.

Of course, the Padres replaced Melvin with Mike Shildt, though two relatively successful years couldn't salvage the relationship between the veteran manager and the team. He "retired" this offseason, though he quickly joined the Baltimore Orioles in an instructional-level role.

The Padres now turn the fate of the franchise over to first-year skipper Craig Stammen, a stark departure from the experienced vets that preceded him. A former Friars reliever with baseball ops experience of his own, Stammen is expected to help bridge the gap between the front office and dugout after that chasm has caused so many issues in recent years.

The 2026 season marks the first time since 2010 that Melvin isn't managing a team of his own. With more than two decades of memories (and responsibilities) in the books, perhaps he'll settle in to a less demanding role in the A's front office.