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AJ Preller, general manager of San Diego Padres, knew that it would be difficult for Bob Melvin to fill her managerial vacancy. Still, the A’s manager was at the top of their list for over 10 seasons.
Preller’s first attempt to get an interview with Melvin last month met resistance. Billy Beane, the president of the Oakland A baseball division, wouldn’t hear it.
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘No chance, go to hell,'” Preller told reporters on Monday. Normally the pursuit of the padres would end there. But with grim financial prospects, this won’t be an ordinary off-season for the Oakland A’s. Beane changed course, allowed the interview, and within days, Melvin signed a three-year contract to direct the talented, underperforming padres.
“I’m probably as surprised to be here as all of you,” Melvin told reporters at his introductory press conference in San Diego.
It came as a surprise, but Melvin’s reasons he chose San Diego tell us everything we need to know about why he had to leave Oakland: The Padres have everything the A’s don’t.
First, the job itself is inviting. Not only is Melvin a highly respected baseball mind, able to combine old-school management skills with a high degree of adaptability to new-school analytics – he is loved by players as a father figure. In Oakland, he was known for being the glue in a clubhouse that was constantly threatened with erosion. The Padres have a roster ripe for World Series runs, but the clubhouse dysfunction that contributed to their postseason chances torn to pieces last season called for new, strong leadership. A team of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and an impressive collection of pitchers in the National League could be Melvin’s best chance at winning a World Series ring.
“How passionate they were about winning. That’s where I stand in my career, ”said Melvin about the future of the Padres. “That could be my last stop.”
When the A’s took advantage of Melvin’s 2022 contract option last spring, the 60-year-old manager said there was “no place he would rather be” than Oakland. The team’s economic outlook has changed that perspective. With the payroll slated to drop sharply in 2022 and in the years to come, there’s no guarantee that Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Ramón Laureano, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, or any of the current core players will be back in Oakland next year.
A’s owner, John Fisher, has shown no willingness to do or spend what it takes to win now or ever. Team expenses go beyond the roster, and the lack of resources (technology, staff, equipment) leads to disconnection from other teams. With Melvin not renewing last year, the owners have not even shown a willingness to keep their three-time manager of the year long-term.
“Right now it’s all about winning,” said Melvin, asking what drew him to San Diego. “When you have a roster like that and all of the people who are giving you the resources and the support to do it, I don’t know if there is a better goal in baseball to get through. I am a happy man. ”
The uncertainty extends beyond the roster. With the Howard Terminal project moving at an icy pace that is controversial and offering Las Vegas as an alternative option, the A’s don’t even have a place to call home when the Colosseum lease is in Year 2024 ends.
With the owners busy with the baseball drama, little time or resources are devoted to the fan experience. The A’s vied for a post-season spot in front of fewer than 10,000 fans at home almost every night. Lack of fan support is a detriment to the product on the field, and it is not the fans’ fault if they have no reason to show up. The prices for the A season tickets have been doubled for the 2022 season for a marginal profit that these small, loyal crowds could even shrink.
That won’t be a problem for the Padres at Petco Park, a ballpark the A’s could dream of to model their new model. The crowd didn’t go unnoticed when Melvin visited Petco with the A’s this season.
“We came here on a Tuesday night and there were 40,000 people here and it was electric, you’d have thought it would be the playoffs,” Melvin said of Padres’ home dynamics. “It was well received by everyone in the shelter. We all look at each other and say ‘wow’. The baseball stadium is fantastic, it is a real travel destination. ”The customer review has been automatically translated from German.
The next logical question: Why did the A’s sign Melvin? Beane could have stuck to his first answer – or at least demanded compensation for the loss of Melvin to the Padres. But after more than 10 seasons, Beane and Forst had to get it right by the advertised manager. For an owner in Fisher intent on cutting the lowest cost, the $ 4 million saving on Melvin’s contract was an added bonus. (Melvin’s contract with the Padres is reportedly $ 12 million over three years.)
With all this mutual respect, why should Melvin be locked up in a sinking ship? Beane finally granted the interview out of respect.
“He was open-minded and in a very competitive industry,” said Preller. “His main thing was, ‘I’ll do what is best for Bob.’ What you don’t hear very often in this industry. ”
All of these pieces came together to end Melvin’s reign as the longest-serving manager in baseball. All parts fit.
“Sometimes it’s time,” said Melvin. “I was lucky enough to lead a team for 10 seasons. I was the man with the longest tenure. I grew up in the Bay Area. It was a team from my hometown. I was lucky enough to lead this team, but at some point you will know that it doesn’t last forever. Billy and David were kind enough to see that too. Understanding the opportunity I had here. It was a surprise, I wasn’t expecting it. When I got the opportunity to listen to the people here, it quickly became clear that I was in the right place. ”
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