SAN FRANCISCO (AP) \u2014 Buster Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the San Francisco Giants, someone with an \u201cobsessive\u201d work ethic and attention to detail.<\/p>\n
Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season, and only hours later beloved former Giants manager Bruce Bochy had become a potentially available free agent.<\/p>\n
Posey, San Francisco\u2019s President of Baseball Operations, announced the decision. He had shown his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager\u2019s contract option for the 2026 season on July 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,\u201d Posey said.<\/p>\n
Melvin said after Sunday\u2019s 4-0 victory against Colorado to conclude his second season that he had received no assurances about managing in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is what it is,\u201d he said, \u201cwe\u2019ll see what the next day brings.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin\u2019s first year. They haven\u2019t reached the postseason since winning the NL West with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game in 2021 under then-skipper Gabe Kapler.<\/p>\n
Now, another change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely not ideal but unfortunately we talked about it a lot what the standards are for the Giants and we have high standards,\u201d Posey said. \u201cAnd I hold myself to those same standards. I understand fully the position that I\u2019m in now. My job and the team\u2019s success is evaluated accordingly as well. You without a doubt hope that there can be consistency in these leadership positions. We\u2019ve got to get back to a place where we\u2019re getting in the playoffs, we\u2019re making runs in playoffs. That\u2019s what our fan base deserves, that\u2019s what the city deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Posey begins finalizing his list of candidates, one familiar name immediately came up as a possibility: Bochy. He has wrapped up his three-year contract with Texas but Posey noted, \u201cI don\u2019t know what his status is yet so I can\u2019t speak on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
By later in the day, it was clear \u2014 Bochy had formally parted ways with the Rangers.<\/a> Texas general manager Chris Young said in a video call when asked about the speed of the split that he was unaware of San Francisco\u2019s sudden vacancy until after his meeting with Bochy had concluded.<\/p>\n Young said Bochy was offered an advisory role in the front office. <\/p>\n \u201cHe never asked for an extension, it never came to that,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n Posey and GM Zack Minasian plan a news conference Wednesday at the ballpark to further discuss the season.<\/p>\n The 70-year-old Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-2019, a run that featured every-other-year World Series titles in 2010, \u201812 and \u201914.<\/p>\n Posey said there\u2019s no timetable for making a hire \u2014 \u201cI want to make sure we get it right\u201d \u2014 nor suggested whether he would seek someone with prior managerial experience.<\/p>\n Players offered support for Melvin as the season ended.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how I feel about BoMel, I loved him. He\u2019s been my manager for I guess seven years,\u201d said third baseman Matt Chapman, who also played for Melvin with Oakland. \u201cI feel extremely grateful that I get to play for him and he\u2019s the same guy every day. He\u2019s been steady for us, he\u2019s always honest with the players, he has our back. He\u2019s done the best with what we\u2019ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn\u2019t play to probably our capabilities.\u201d <\/p>\n The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area<\/a> and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.<\/p>\n Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 career regular-season managerial record. A three-time Manager of the Year who has won the award in both leagues, he has eight postseason appearances while guiding Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and the Giants.<\/p>\n San Francisco finished 80-82 in Melvin\u2019s first season last year after he replaced Kapler, who was fired with three days remaining in the 2023 season.<\/p>\n Melvin is a native of nearby Palo Alto, California. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986-88.<\/p>\n