San Diego Padres rumors: Is Sunday's game in Chicago the last one for Bob Melvin as manager?

After a very disappointing season for the San Diego Padres that included plenty of discussion about relationships in the clubhouse as well as those up and down the organizational ladder, one MLB insider believes that Bob Melvin has managed his last game for the Padres.

San Diego Padres rumors: Is Bob Melvin done with the Padres?

Even though Melvin has one more year left on a three-year deal he signed in the offseason prior to the 2022 campaign, there have been reports that Melvin and Padres general manager A.J. Preller have an icy relationship. With that in mind, MLB insider Bob Nightengale wrote in his Sunday column that the two simply can't work together any longer.

"San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin and GM A.J. Preller have told friends and associates that it’s simply impossible for the two to co-exist in 2024 and that their meeting Monday with Padres’ ownership will not change their minds," Nightengale wrote.

If that is indeed the case, Monday could be very interesting as Melvin may not only see his tenure with the Padres end, but also the rumors regarding him becoming the next manager of the San Francisco Giants begin. San Francisco axed Gabe Kapler with three games remaining in the 2023 schedule, and Melvin and San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi know each other from their days together with the Oakland A's, as ESPN's Buster Olney mentioned recently.

After being lifeless for the vast majority of the season, the Padres caught fire in September, going 19-7 before Sunday's finale to not only get above .500 for the season but also stay mathematically alive in the Wild Card chase until the final week of the campaign. However, all of the positives of September could not wipe away the frustrations from the rest of the season, a year which could put an end to Melvin's brief tenure with the San Diego Padres.