It’s already been an interesting offseason for the Oakland A’s. The franchise saw long-time manager Bob Melvin move south in California to take the reins of the San Diego Padres. It was the start of a whirlwind few weeks for the A’s, including trade rumors swirling about long-time players and faces of the franchise.
So what comes next for the Oakland A’s? Let’s take a look at some moves that could make an impact and build for the future.
3 moves the Oakland A’s should make this offseason
First, the A’s need to find the right manager to replace Melvin. If the franchise is to move forward and compete again for the American League West title, it needs someone to navigate what could be an interesting season ahead should all of the rumored trades go through.
Oakland general manager David Forst has mentioned that the A’s will be looking at in-house options to replace Melvin, including third-base coach Mark Kotsay and bench coach Ryan Christenson. Keeping part of the culture that has helped Oakland reach the postseason in three of the past four seasons would, on the surface, seem to be important.
However, the next manager needs to be able to not only reshape the franchise, but also help the A’s go deep into the postseason once again. Since the 2012 American League Division Series, Oakland has lost six of its last seven postseason series and hasn’t advanced past the ALDS. Oakland’s last American League Championship Series appearance was 2006 and the team’s last World Series showing came in 1990.
That may not change in 2022, but Oakland needs to lay the groundwork for a new direction with new leadership (and the right leadership) in the dugout.