Bob Melvin wasn’t the Giants’ problem this season.
No, that would have been streaky hitting, a stripped bullpen and the inability to perform in any way, shape or form when the stakes were truly high.
The Giants found new and exciting ways to win games this season, but also to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, often with a comedic flair.
And when the cheese truly became binding, this team stood no chance — an Icarus-like operation that surprised us by flying, but then saw its wings melt when it came too close to true relevance.
Which begs the more important question, with the Giants officially eliminated from playoff contention: Is Melvin the solution to the woes?
Now that San Francisco’s late-summer soiree with success is over, and another .500 season (at best) is in the books, that’s what Buster Posey will have to evaluate.
Year 2 for Posey — 2026 — is critical. His first season was about establishing a baseline and standards. Year 2 and beyond is about meeting them.
Related Articles
SF Giants eliminated from postseason contention with crushing loss to Cardinals
SF Giants discuss implementation of robo umps coming to MLB in ’26
Robot umpires approved for MLB in 2026 as part of challenge system
SF Giants inch closer to elimination as Cardinals rough up Verlander
Giants bring prospect Rodriguez to San Francisco to get acclimated for 2026 and beyond
Obviously, the Giants’ record isn’t up to par, and that alone might be enough to disqualify Melvin from another year on the bench.
But is “close enough” the identity that Posey wants in San Francisco?
If it is, he has his man.
Melvin is a good manager. He’s a smart, steady man who understands how to relate to players. For some teams, that’s a great thing.
For other teams, it’s limiting.
He’s a floor-raiser, not a ceiling-raiser.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin (6) talks to San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Gage (93) on the mound after he pulled San Francisco Giants pitcher Tristan Beck (43) in the seventh inning of their MLB game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group
And the Giants have a damn well-established floor. They need someone to take them to the next level.
That’s not Melvin. It’s never been Melvin. It’ll probably never be Melvin.
Melvin’s career tells the story. He took over a 93-win team in Seattle in 2023 and won 93 games the next year. The year after that, as the Mariners slipped to nearly 100 losses, he was fired.
But then he took over a Diamondbacks team that won only 54 games the year before. He helped turn them into a 90-win team in two seasons. They never returned to such heights.
He landed the interim job with the A’s in 2011 after Oakland slipped to a last-place start following a .500 season. Melvin leveled the team out and won the division the next season, but despite three AL West titles and six playoff berths, the A’s never sniffed an American League pennant.
Then he took over the all-in, title-or-bust Padres and won a mere 53 percent of his games, reading the writing on the wall and bouncing after two years to the Giants, where he has continued this organization’s new tradition of finishing with the most innocuous record possible.
Melvin has managed in the big leagues for 22 years. He has more Manager of the Year awards than league championship series appearances to his name. That screams “floor-raiser” to me.
But there are no pennants, no titles to his name. Don’t expect him to take a good team to another level. Logan Webb called this roster “the most talented team I’ve been on,” and yet he said so after the Giants were eliminated Wednesday night.
For a smaller, less ambitious organization, Melvin is the man. His patience and even-keeled temperament play so well in low-stress environments.
Related Articles
Kurtenbach: The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga deserve each other
Nick Bosa is out for the season and it’s hard to see how the 49ers recover
Kurtenbach: ‘Next man up’? For the 3-0 49ers, it’s not just an empty saying
Studs and Duds: Ricky Pearsall’s elite day lifts Niners to improbable home win
Kurtenbach: Can Mac Jones keep it up? Three predictions for 49ers-Cardinals
But here I thought the San Francisco Giants were one of baseball’s crown jewels, where titles are the only thing that truly matters. This job should be high-stress at all times. It’s a big pond; it needs a fish that enjoys that kind of environment.
If titles really are the goal, then Posey needs to correct his mistake from July 1, when he picked up Melvin’s option, and send Melvin on his way at the end of the season. He was a good pick for the Giants when he was hired — stability, steadiness.
But the last thing Posey’s Giants need going into Year 2 is more of the same. This team needs to start competing seriously, and a long history says Melvin isn’t the guy to take them there.
Or, maybe, just maybe close enough is good enough for Posey.
I guess he’ll tell us in the coming days.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin watches from the dugout in the second inning of their MLB game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, April 21, 2025. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)