Sources - Padres grant permission for Bob Melvin, Giants interview - ESPN

The San Diego Padres granted permission for manager Bob Melvin to interview with the San Francisco Giants, sources told ESPN, paving the way for an interdivision managerial change and the end of a contentious two-year relationship between Melvin and the Padres.

While league sources believed the possibility of Melvin emerging as the top candidate in San Francisco were logical, the rarity of one manager jumping to a division rival while still under contract dampened the possibility. Granting permission makes Melvin the clear favorite for the San Francisco job, though because he's still under contract with the Padres for one year at $4 million, the team could pursue compensation if he is the Giants' choice to replace Gabe Kapler.

The Padres said in early October they intended to retain Melvin and general manager A.J. Preller, even after the slow fracture of their partnership as the Padres' near-$250 million roster produced 82 wins and a third-place finish in the National League West. Melvin's arrival in October 2021 had been seen as a coup for the Padres, as he left his job — while still under contract with the Oakland A's — after 11 seasons, with a 853-764 record and six playoff appearances. Trust between he and Preller never developed, and sources believed their relationship was beyond repair despite the public proclamation of both returning for the 2024 season.

«From my standpoint, a lot's been overblown,» Preller said when announcing his and Melvin's return. «There are reports we don't speak, and we're talking four or five times a day. Personally, we have a friendship. All those things, I don't put a lot of stock into the unnamed reports and sources and stories that are out of context. I think it's really hard to