San Diego Padres rumors: Juan Soto extension, Bob Melvin's future

There are a pair of big San Diego Padres rumors floating around out there, but do either of them have legs to them? Let's dive in and find out.

In his weekly column for USA Today, MLB insider Bob Nightengale discussed two big topics for the San Diego Padres: Bob Melvin's future as the team skipper and Juan Soto's future in the outfield.

San Diego Padres rumors: Is Bob Melvin on the hot seat?

Nightengale wrote, "If the Padres don’t reach the postseason, Bob Melvin could take the fall with bench coach Ryan Flaherty a strong candidate to succeed him."

When we discussed potential candidates to replace Melvin if the Padres went a different direction, Flaherty was mentioned as a possibility. But would San Diego sever ties with Melvin, who is under contract with the team for one more season? It's possible that there would be some sort of scapegoat for the Padres underwhelming this season after so much talk in the offseason about what a strong lineup San Diego had assembled (and the money it had taken to do so).

With San Diego starting a 10-game homestand on Monday night against Baltimore, Arizona and Miami that could literally enchance or destroy San Diego's postseason hopes, there is plenty of pressure on the Padres to succeed inside Petco Park this week. At 56-62 on the season, San Diego is 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and FanGraphs is giving them a 21.9 percent chance to make the postseason.

A lot could ride on how the Padres finish the season. If Melvin can help his team make a run at the postseason, that would bode well for a return in 2024. If the Padres crumble under the pressure, don't be surprised if changes could be on the horizon in San Diego.