Two Surprising Ways This SF Giants Decision Could Boost the A's in 2026

The Giants have made a move at manager, and that may is great for the A's

Aug 5, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (6) looks on during batting practice against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Following the end of the regular season on Sunday, the San Francisco Giants decided to cut ties with manager Bob Melvin, who had led the team to a 161-163 record over the past two seasons, including an 81-81 mark in 2025.

Given that the Giants were sellers at the deadline and Melvin still had them playing for a potential postseason spot deep into September should say a decent amount about the manager himself, even when the front office had given up on the season.

Outside of the 107-win team in 2021, San Francisco hasn't made the postseason since 2016, and both of those years ended in NLDS losses. This is more than a Bob Melvin issue.

While there have been no rumors connecting Melvin back to the A's, where he had plenty of success from 2011-2021, leading the club to the postseason six times and going 853-764 overall, perhaps there is a chance that the two parties could reunite with the club seemingly turning a big corner and looking towards making the postseason in 2026.

We'll have to wait and see on that one.

The more direct impact could be with whom the Giants are potentially looking to reconnect with. Not long after Melvin was fired by the Giants, the Texas Rangers and Bruce Bochy also mutually parted ways. Bochy is the winningest active manager, holding a cumulative 2,252-2,266 record across stints with the Padres, Giants, and Rangers.

With San Francisco, he helped guide the franchise to World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014, and in his first season with the Rangers, they won their first championship in franchise history. The two years since they have finished 78-84 and 81-81.

While there have been no reports of there being a link between these two moves, if Bochy wants to continue to manage, the Giants would likely welcome him with open arms—especially now that Buster Posey is in charge of the front office.

Regardless of whether the two moves are linked, this is a huge win for the Athletics, at the very least in the short-term. Bochy is one of the most well-respected managers in baseball, and if he's leaving the division, that's a win for the A's as they look to continue climbing through the AL West in 2026.

Of course, you could also argue that getting a new voice in the clubhouse could inspire the Rangers, as it did when Bochy arrived, but there will likely be a bit of a growth period for Texas with their new manager in 2026. Plus, their roster isn't getting any younger.

The Rangers had the fifth-oldest bats in the bigs last season, and their pitching staff was the oldest in the game. The club already has the 13th ranked payroll in baseball at $226 million according to Spotrac, and they currently rank No. 11 in payroll ($149.75 million) in 2026 with their current salaries.

With an aging roster and not a ton of room to be made for an influx of talent, they'll be banking on health and steps forward from veteran guys (and a collection of younger players). It's not impossible by any means, but the A's look to be in a better position heading into the offseason.