SAN DIEGO -- Bruce Bochy was a young buck of 27, a pro athlete who was looking to extend his playing career when he came to the Padres in February 1983. He has had several jobs since, but only the one employer.

That is set to change today, when Bochy will be introduced as the San Francisco Giants' new manager, ending his 24-season association with the Padres. He agreed in principle to hop teams late Thursday after a visit with Giants' brass in San Francisco, according to major-league sources.

"Change is inevitable in this game," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. "He and I talked about that in the past. I'll cherish the time we had together. We've been through good times and bad times."

Bochy's last 12 years with the Padres were spent as the team's manager, 11 with Towers as the GM. His tenure dwarfs that of any previous Padres manager. His franchise record of 1,926 games managed nearly triples the service of No. 2 Dick Williams (648). He had a won-loss record below .500, 951-975, but won the National League West division title four times and took the Padres to the 1998 World Series, only the second time the franchise played that deep into a season.

The Padres were 88-74 this year and won the division for the second straight season, another franchise first. But Bochy had an uneasy working relationship with CEO Sandy Alderson, who joined the club in May 2005. Bochy, not wanting to enter 2007 on the last year of his contract, accepted the team's green light to pursue other jobs.

A Giants team official confirmed a press conference is scheduled for today, though that official refused to acknowledge that subject matter.

Bochy went into blackout mode as the deal went down, but several things became clear:

> At least two men who interviewed for the Giants' job, only to come up short, are on the Padres' short list. Angels pitching coach Bud Black and Giants bench coach Ron Wotus are valued by Padres executives.

> Black, a Rancho Santa Fe resident, is the front-runner because of his expertise with pitchers and local connections. He pitched at San Diego State before a top-notch big-league playing career.

> Giants general manager Brian Sabean valued Bochy's experience. He was the only candidate interviewed who had previous managing experience.

> Instead of earning $1.9 million in the last year of his Padres contract, Bochy will get a three-year pact from the Giants.

> The long friendship between Towers and Bochy --- they were teammates at Triple-A Las Vegas in 1988 --- wasn't enough to smooth over the friction between Bochy and Alderson.

Before he interviewed with the Giants, but after Alderson told him there would be no extension this winter, Bochy said the lack of job security was a message he wasn't wanted in San Diego. Although Alderson explained he never stops an employee from looking elsewhere and Towers could attest to that, having interviewed with the Arizona Diamondbacks the previous year, Bochy was unhappy about being a potential lame duck manager in 2007.

"There's no question that's probably the biggest reason I'm going to explore another opportunity -- the fact I have only one year left," Bochy said last week. "I think now it's an obligation to myself and my family to listen. You want security for your family."

The Padres have been a second family since Bochy arrived as a backup catcher on a minor-league contract. He put in five big-league years, then coached and managed in the minors before returning to the big leagues in 1993 as the Padres' third-base coach. He succeeded Jim Riggleman as manager after the 1994 season.

In that time, he earned the respect of his peers and gained a reputation as a favorite of players. His fellow managers twice voted him National League Manager of the Year, and Tony La Russa raved about him before a playoff matchup this fall.

"He's as respected as anybody," La Russa said. "He's done a great job here in San Diego. I think he has terrific rapport with his players, which tells you a lot about his personality. He's an outstanding game manager. He does it all, as far as positioning and being creative on offense.

"I think one of the things he has a real special feel for is handling the bullpen. He has talent there with Trevor (Hoffman), but he puts people in the right spot. A bunch of us think he's as good as anybody out there."

La Russa, of course, then led his Cardinals to a four-game victory over the Padres in the National League Division Series. Bochy, who differed with the front office over the release of veteran third baseman Vinny Castilla in the regular season, apparently bristled over questions about his personnel decisions during the postseason.

It is his loyalty to established players such as Castilla that made him popular among veterans. But Alderson's regime does not reward dogmatic approaches. Still, Giants first baseman/outfielder Mark Sweeney, who played for Bochy in San Diego, said Bochy's reputation will work in the Giants' favor.

"The one thing it's going to do -- and it's good for our organization -- is if there are potential free agents looking for a manager to play for, Bochy's that guy." Sweeney told the Associated Press. "It would definitely benefit us in getting some free agents who might go elsewhere. I just think that goes a long way in deciding a team. It adds to it that you get a guy who has that credibility and experience."

Come 2007, the Padres might have a far-less experience skipper going head to head in 19 matchups with Bochy and the Giants.

"We've played together, coached together and spent the last 11 years together," Towers said. "One thing that's always been there in our friendship is competition -- if we were bowling, playing cards, whatever. If he's in the opposite dughout next year, this will take that competition to a whole new level."

PADRES NOTES -- The Padres signed RHP Scott Strickland to a one-year contract and placed him on the big-league roster. Strickland, a relief pitcher who got plenty of time with the Expos and Mets from 1999-2003 before undergoing elbow reconstruction surgery. His only major-league time since was a four-inning stint with the Astros in 2005. This year, he went 5-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 53 games with Triple-A Indianapolis, a Pirates affiliate. Strickland seemed to regain his solid-90s fastball, striking out 70 in 73 1/3 innings.

Contact staff writer Shaun O'Neill at (760) 740-3546 or soneill@nctimes.com.