Sep 28, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin stands in the dugout before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

3 Bob Melvin Replacement Options After Giants Fire Manager

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 5:08 PM ET

The National League was loaded with talent this season, but the third wild card spot was very achievable. The Cincinnati Reds ended up grabbing this final wild card spot with a mediocre record of 83-79.

This put the San Francisco Giants on notice, as they were expected to be one of the better teams in the league, yet fell short of the final wild card spot.

Shortly after the season ended, the Giants announced they were firing manager Bob Melvin in an attempt to move the team in a different direction of leadership.

With Melvin out, who are some top options to replace him as the manager of the Giants?

Mark DeRosa

One of the names that's been mentioned over the first couple of hours following Melvin's firing is MLB analyst Mark DeRosa.

Derosa is typically looked at as one of the better baseball minds in the media, but he's also a talented manager, managing Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. DeRosa is also set to manage Team USA in 2026.

This experience makes him qualified for the job with the Giants, if he's willing to take it. There's likely going to be mutual interest, but it'll be interesting to see if they can make a deal work.

Don Mattingly

Given the fact that the Giants have a roster that's built to win now, it would make sense for them to find a talented veteran manager to handle to club, much like the Cincinnati Reds did with Terry Francona last offseason.

Enter Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, who worked as a manager from 2011 to 2022. Mattingly had a lot of success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but not nearly the same success with the Miami Marlins.

If he was given the Giants job, Mattingly would have a unit much closer to the talent of his early Dodgers teams. This fit could be perfect, as Mattingly has had a lot of success with the Blue Jays.

Ryan Flaherty

This one is going to come as a surprise to some, but ESPN's Buster Olney recently listed Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty as a potential option for the Giants.

Flaherty is a former big-league infielder who played as recently as 2019. Directly after retiring from baseball, Flaherty joined the San Diego Padres coaching staff before bolting for the Cubs last year.

Flaherty could be a dark horse candidate for the Giants' job, but there's a chance that San Francisco opts for a young mind to take over the talented team.

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This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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