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PHOENIX – Showing how much faith Buster Posey and the front office have in Bob Melvin, the Giants announced Tuesday that they had exercised the manager’s contract option for 2026 – amid the team’s worst stretch of the season.
While some fans — especially those with critical sentiments on social media and talk shows — might think the timing is curious, it’s not a surprise the option was picked up.
Posey, the president of baseball operations, told The Standard in spring training there wasn’t a rush on the option, and he and Melvin were still getting to know each other; though both had been in the game a long time, their paths didn’t often cross. At the time, Posey spoke highly of their interactions and said, “I think Bob Melvin’s one of the best managers in the game, and I’m getting to see it every day.”
The Giants lost for the 11th time in 15 games Monday against the Diamondbacks and have failed to score at least three runs in any of their first four games on a three-city road trip. Melvin’s club started 12-4 but has gone 33-36 over the last 69 games.
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Giants third baseman Matt Chapman, who played for Melvin in Oakland, said during spring training he “signed here because of BoMel. I would have never come to the Giants if it wasn’t for him. He got me here. He’s the reason I’m here. I didn’t sign a six-year extension thinking I was going to play for another manager.”
Chapman had wanted the Giants to extend the contract, not just exercise the option. If that happens, it’ll happen another day.
In front of the dugout during batting practice on Monday, Posey had a long talk with Chapman, who’s on the injured list, and spent time with other Giants folks throughout the day. He has solicited many voices as part of his decision-making, and he undoubtedly wanted to hear from players and staff before making the call on Melvin.
In the season’s first few months, it was clear Posey and Melvin were building a solid relationship. Posey is with the team in Phoenix and visited Melvin’s office to discuss all things Giants before Monday’s series opener, along with GM Zack Minasian, a practice that is common both at home and on the road.
Posey on Tuesday cited Melvin’s “leadership, preparation, and connection with our players” as to why he determined “he’s the right person to continue guiding this team forward.”
Melvin said in a statement, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this group. I believe in what we’re building here, and I appreciate the confidence that the Giants’ ownership group, Greg [Johnson], Buster, Larry [Baer], Zack, and the rest of the Giants organization have shown in me and our staff. We have a lot of unfinished business this year, and I’m looking forward to the work ahead.”
Melvin, 63, is in his second Giants season and 22nd as a big-league manager, having reached the postseason eight times. He’s 21st on the all-time wins list, at 1,642.
Ownership is on board with Tuesday’s news. The day Posey traded for Rafael Devers, Johnson, the Giants’ chairman, told The Standard he was pleased with how Posey had given Melvin the authority to call games and wasn’t micromanaging the team.
“Bob’s great,” Johnson said. “I think he’s enjoying it. That’s always been my philosophy at work: Your job is to get the best person in that position and let him do their job. I think that’s where we agree 100%. You might disagree sometimes. You can’t be accountable if someone’s looking over his shoulder and saying, ‘Are you sure you want to do that? Maybe you should do this differently.’”