Giants Fire Veteran Manager Bob Melvin After Two Years as Buster Posey Seeks ‘Different Voice’

San Francisco Giants' manager Bob Melvin returns to dugout after making a 7th inning pitching change against St. Louis Cardinals during MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Scott Strazzante (SF Chronicle via AP)

As one of the premier Bay Area sports teams, the San Francisco Giants have been a popular rooting interest and unifying presence at Santa Clara University. Students regularly flock to Oracle Park for games in the spring, especially when the Giants host the Broncos for their annual Santa Clara University night. 

Many local Bronco students and alumni have grown up watching the Giants win three championships in the 2010s with legendary catcher Buster Posey behind the plate. Now in the team’s front office, Posey has made a change aimed at moving the franchise in a new direction—one that leaves longtime fans in the Santa Clara University community wondering who he will turn to to bring a World Series title back to the Bay Area.

After manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season, Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the Giants, someone with an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail.

Posey, the San Francisco Giants’ President of Baseball Operations, announced the decision, despite previously showing his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager’s one-year contract extension option for the 2026 season on July 1.

“Just looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,” Posey said.

Melvin said after Sunday’s 4-0 victory against Colorado to conclude his second season that he had received no assurances about managing in 2026. “It’s definitely not ideal, but unfortunately we talked about what the standards are for the Giants, and we have high standards,” Posey said.

The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year. They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West in 2021 with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game under then-skipper Gabe Kapler.

Now, another change. Only hours after Melvin’s firing, beloved former Giants manager Bruce Bochy became a potentially available free agent. As Posey begins finalizing his list of candidates, Bochy will certainly be among those names. He has wrapped up his three-year contract with Texas but Posey noted, “I don’t know what his status is yet so I can’t speak on that.” 

By later in the day, it was officially clear — Bochy had formally parted ways with the Rangers. Texas general manager Chris Young said in a video call when asked about the speed of the split that he was unaware of the Giants’ sudden vacancy until after his meeting with Bochy had concluded.

Posey and general manager Zack Minasian plan a news conference Wednesday at the ballpark to further discuss the season.

The 70-year-old Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-2019, a run that featured every-other-year World Series titles in 2010, ’12 and ’14.

“I don’t think Bochy is the answer,” said Santa Clara University student Tad Mendes ’26. “He’s been here and done that. I think he’s thinking more about retirement than anything Giants related right now”.

Posey said there’s no timetable for making a hire — “I want to make sure we get it right” — nor suggested whether he would seek someone with prior managerial experience.

Players offered support for Melvin as the season ended.

“You know how I feel about BoMel, I loved him. He’s been my manager for I guess seven years,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who also played for Melvin with the Oakland A’s. “I feel extremely grateful that I get to play for him and he’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us, he’s always honest with the players, he has our back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.”

The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.

Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 career regular-season managerial record. A three-time Manager of the Year who has won the award in both leagues, he has eight postseason appearances while guiding Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and the Giants.

Melvin is a native of nearby Palo Alto, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986-88.

“It wasn’t enjoyable. I knew how much this job meant to Bob,” Posey said of their conversation. The players certainly realized their skipper’s passion for being in a place that means so much to him.