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Bob Melvin will remain manager of the San Diego Padres, general manager A.J. Preller announced on Wednesday afternoon. "Both he and I are very excited about the challenge of getting this group back to the postseason next year," Preller told reporters, according to The Athletic's Dennis Lin.

Melvin's job security had been the subject of speculation after a disappointing season in San Diego. The Padres entered the year with World Series aspirations, yet missed the playoffs following an 82-80 regular season that saw them suffer from an abysmal record in one-run and extra-inning games. A mid-September report from The Athletic had classified Melvin's relationship with Preller as "unfixable." Here's a snippet of that report:

Several Padres people interviewed for this story described circumstances in which Preller told players one thing and Melvin told them another. One player, while careful not to absolve himself and his teammates of blame, likened the situation to a toxic relationship between parents in which the kids suffer.

"If nobody's on the same page and you're getting two stories from two different people, there is not trust there," the player said. "The players are going to feel like, well, who can I confide in? Who can I talk to?"

Melvin's case for returning did not seem to be aided by commentary offered by star third baseman Manny Machado, who told reporters that the Padres' players "should have wanted it more." Nevertheless, subsequent reports indicated that owner Peter Seidler wanted to retain Melvin and Preller. Clearly Seidler's desire won out based on Wednesday's news.

Melvin, a three-time Manager of the Year Award recipient, led the Padres to the National League Championship Series in 2022, his first at the helm in San Diego. He had previously earned a reputation for being one of the game's finest skippers during his 11-year stint with the Oakland Athletics.