Padres News: MLB Insider Identifies Replacement Manager if Bob Melvin is Fired
At the beginning of the season, the Padres were seen as easy-money World Series favorites, and a lot of people believed that they could win the NL West with the amount of talent on their roster.
But as the season goes on, the Friars just keep struggling and now they're trying to keep their head above water.
As of August 13, they're five and a half games back in the NL Wild Card race and an astounding 15.5 back in the NL West.
So with this season's struggles, could Melvin be on his way out? And if so, who could be his replacement?
Well, MLB insider Bob Nightengale has some thoughts:
"If the Padres don’t reach the postseason, Bob Melvin could take the fall with bench coach Ryan Flaherty a strong candidate to succeed him."
via Bob Nightengale / USA Today
Honestly, I wouldn't blame the Padres front office if they made a move at manager in the offseason. Their infield is worth just about a billion dollars with the massive contracts of Bogaerts and Machado, plus Tatis' huge contract.
When you sign superstars to big deals, you expect to win right away, and that's just not happening for the Friars.
Maybe saying goodbye to Bob Melvin would change the culture in San Diego, and hiring his replacement from within the organization could be a good idea to have that familiarity with the players.
The good news for the Padres is that the main pieces are locked up for a long time. Bogaerts signed an 11 year contract in the offseason, Machado and Tatis aren't going anywhere for a while, so the players that you need to have in order to compete for a championship are staying around for a while.
But ultimately, if the Padres continue to underperform, I think they'll move on from Melvin, and Flaherty as a replacement wouldn't be too bad of a move.
Who would you like to see lead the Friars if Melvin isn't around next year?
