PHOENIX -- When the Giants announced on Tuesday that the organization had exercised manager Bob Melvin’s option for 2026, the timing might have seemed odd.
The Giants have struggled lately, dropping six of their past seven games and 11 of their past 15 entering Tuesday’s 8-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
However, for Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, conversations surrounding Melvin’s contract began several weeks ago -- and the club’s recent subpar performance did not change the fact that he wanted Melvin at the helm in 2026.
"[Melvin is] as prepared as anybody each and every day,” Posey said. “... Sometimes, when you're going through a rough patch, there's a tendency to want to point the finger at the coaches. Ultimately, I believe we have great players, and I still believe in that group of players. But it boils down to them needing to play better baseball. If anybody deserves any blame from the top, it should be on me.”
Melvin was appreciative that even in the midst of a rough stretch, the front office is behind him and his coaching staff.
"It means a lot,” Melvin said. “Other than the stretch we've been going through here recently, we feel like we've got a good thing going here. We've signed some impactful guys that are going to be here. We've traded for guys. We have a nucleus going forward. And to be able to be part of that is a big deal for me, especially in the Bay Area and San Francisco.”
For Posey, the fact that the team has been playing hard the past few weeks was a sign that Melvin was not to blame. It is just a matter of getting better results.
"An overarching theme that I've seen is that the guys trust him,” Posey said. “They play hard for him. That's been a big thing for us is guys showing up and playing hard. Our rough stretch is most certainly not from a lack of effort.”
Melvin, 63, is in his second season as manager of the San Francisco Giants, his 22nd overall as a big league manager. In those 22 seasons, Melvin has guided his teams to eight Postseason appearances that include four division titles and two trips to the League Championship Series (2007 with Arizona and 2022 with San Diego). He was also a bench coach on the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks club that won the World Series.
As a Major League manager, Melvin has garnered three Manager of the Year Awards (2007 with Arizona and 2012 & 2018 with Oakland) and owns a lifetime managerial winning percentage of .515, compiling a 1,642-1,547 record during the regular season. His 1,642 regular-season wins rank 21st all-time and are third most among active managers behind Bruce Bochy (2,212) and Terry Francona (1,994).
"It's awesome,” Giants right-hander Logan Webb said of the team exercising Melvin’s option. “Lucky enough to have [Melvin] as a manager these last two years and hopefully as long as I'm here. Everyone in this clubhouse has his back … He’s one of the greatest managers, I think, of all time.”
Webb said that he sees similarities between Melvin and former Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who managed Webb in his first Major League season in 2019.
"[They] have a presence about them,” Webb said. “They have the leadership qualities. They have everything that you look for in your leader and your manager.”
Of course, Bochy -- the current manager of the Rangers -- led the Giants to three World Series championships during his stint as Giants manager from 2007-19.
Webb agreed with Posey’s sentiment that while there can be a temptation to place blame on coaches during a bad stretch, the players are ultimately responsible for turning things around.
Perhaps the front office standing behind Melvin will help the team on the field get its season back on track.
"It just makes it even more for us to go out there and try to win [a World Series] for him,” Webb said. “I know he hasn't won yet, so it'd be pretty cool to do.”