Padres reportedly agree to three-year deal with Athletics manager Bob Melvin

The San Diego Padres believe they've found the right manager to turn things around in the clubhouse. The team reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with long-time Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell.

The move comes as a major surprise. Melvin, who has managed the A's for 11 seasons, had his 2022 option picked up by Oakland in June. That seemed to guarantee Melvin would return to the Athletics' dugout for at least one more year.

Despite that, there were rumors the Athletics would dangle Melvin to other teams as part of a trade. That's not the case here. The A's reportedly allowed Melvin to interview with the Padres, and are not receiving any compensation in exchange for Melvin.

The move is believed to be a salary dump for the Athletics. Melvin was making close to $4 million per season after signing an extension with the team in 2018.

Bob Melvin tasked with turning things around in San Diego

Melvin, 60, comes to the Padres as one of the most accomplished managers in the game. Over his 11 seasons in Oakland, Melvin led the club to an 853-764 record. The Athletics made the playoffs six times under Melvin, and have turned in a winning record in each of the past four seasons.

Prior to joining the Athletics in 2011, Melvin managed both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. He's won the Manager of the Year award three times during his career.

The Padres will need Melvin's steady hand after the team experienced a miserable second-half collapse. The Padres were 67-49 on Aug. 10, but went 12-34 over their final 46 games and failed to make the playoffs.

The excessive losing put more stress on the clubhouse. Two of the teams biggest stars — Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. — got into a heated confrontation in the dugout during the team's skid. Former manager Jayce Tingler was blamed for those issues, and was fired just days after the regular season, paving the way for the team to pursue Melvin.

It's a perfect fit for the Padres, who have an incredibly talented team on paper. Melvin is regarded as a strong in-game manager. If he can get the clubhouse back to a good spot, the Padres could live up to their lofty expectations in 2022.

For the Athletics, the move signals a fire sale could be coming. If Melvin's $4 million salary was too much to handle, that doesn't bode well for some of the biggest names on the roster.