Despite a disappointing season for the Padres, the organization will move forward with president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin remaining in their same roles for next season.
San Diego had the third-highest payroll in the majors in 2023 but finished 82-80 and two games back of the final wild-card spot in the National League.
During all this, a divide grew between Melvin and Preller over the course of the year, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Still, the decision was made to keep both men on after a Monday meeting that included Preller and Melvin.
“Bob is our manager and is going to be our manager going forward,” Preller told the Union-Tribune.
The Union-Tribune reported that the friction between the two stemmed from a difference of opinion in player usage, roster construction and other philosophies.
Things had reached a point where some had questioned whether the relationship was salvageable, but the organization is reportedly putting measures in place for Preller and Melvin to be able to work better together.
Melvin has one more year left on his contract, while Preller’s runs through 2026.
Padres Chairman Peter Seidler hinted earlier in the week about his plans while promising to undertake changes after the team fell well short of its goals of a championship.
“We entered 2023 with expectations that we would build on last year’s NLCS appearance and contend for a World Series Championship,” the statement read. “We fell short of that goal. The Padres organization will learn from this season and emerge in 2024 with the pieces in place to compete for San Diego’s first World Series title. Our current leadership team continues to have my full support, and I have asked them to perform a thorough assessment of our organization, beginning today.
“We will make the changes necessary to play championship-caliber baseball for our extraordinary fans in 2024.”
Melvin didn’t respond to the Union-Tribune’s request for comment on Wednesday, and, in terms of his job status, he wasn’t focused on it before the Padres’ final game of the season on Sunday.
“I’m under contract here next year,” Melvin said at the time. “And that’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now.”