Padres News: 2 Candidates Revealed as Likely Replacements if Bob Melvin Heads to Giants

Familiar names are likely to take over for Bob Melvin in 2024.

With the bombshell news involving the Padres, the Giants, and manager Bob Melvin dropping today, the San Diego club may soon need to explore hiring a new skipper for 2024.

A pair of internal candidates have been identified as the most likely successors to Melvin for the Padres, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale. Bench coach Ryan Flaherty and senior advisor Mike Shildt.

Ryan Flaherty and Mike Shildt are the top two candidates to replace Bob Melvin as the Padres manager once he is hired by the San Francisco Giants.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 22, 2023

Flaherty has recently emerged as a manager of the future in the industry and Shildt formerly was the manager of the Cardinals from 2018-2021. If Flaherty is hired, he'd immediately become the youngest manager in baseball at just 37 whereas where Shildt has been a major and minor league coach for decades.

Assuming Melvin leaves for the Giants' job, the Padres will be left in familiar hands. And, it could help clear the air in the clubhouse as the growing divide between Melvin and President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller reached a fever pitch in 2023.

With Bob Melvin being granted permission to talk to the Giants, hard to imagine them interviewing the manager of a division rival then rejecting him! Even harder to imagine him returning to SD after showing interest in managing their rival!!

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 22, 2023

Whoever does get the job, they'll be taking over a club that went 82-80 last season and performed well below expectations in the National League West.