3 candidates to replace Bob Melvin if San Diego Padres fire him

There is no question that the San Diego Padres are not performing up to expectations, and many Padres fans are pointing the finger directly at manager Bob Melvin.

San Diego enters Wednesday's action with a record of 35-38, placing them 5.0 games out of the NL Wild Card and 8.5 games back in the National League West. For a team with a high payroll, the expectations were just as high ... and simply haven't been met yet.

If (and it's a huge if as we believe Melvin's seat may be warm but doesn't appear to be too hot) the Padres were to decide that Melvin wasn't the manager to lead this team, here are 3 potential candidates to take over in San Diego.

San Diego Padres: Could Matt Williams take over for Bob Melvin as manager?

If the Padres wanted to keep things in house, Williams could be a potential option. He has not only big league playing experience, but also experience as a manager as welll, guiding the Washington Nationals to a 179-145 record in two seasons (2014-15), both of which produced winning campaigns. Williams, who was named as the 2014 NL Manager of the Year, has also served as a manager of the Kia Tigers in Korea.

Serving as San Diego's third base coach as well as helping infielders, the 57-year-old Williams is very familiar with the Padres. He's also familiar with Melvin and his tendencies working with him in Oakland for two seasons. That may or may not be a deterrent for the Padres should they choose to go in a different direction.

Williams could lessen any kind of ripple effect in a change since he is in house and already familiar with the team. There is another option in house as well who could do the same.