Call to the pen
Fansided

The toughest decision the Oakland A’s must make in their manager search

By Kevin Henry

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 01: Mark Kotsay #7 of the Oakland Athletics wears a gold ribbon in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Day before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 01, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 01: Mark Kotsay #7 of the Oakland Athletics wears a gold ribbon in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Day before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 01, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Oakland A’s face some critical decisions this offseason, including who will be their next manager after long-time manager Bob Melvin bolted the franchise in late October to lead the San Diego Padres.

For the first time since early in the 2011 season, someone other than Melvin will be managing the Oakland A’s this season. It has been reported that six candidates are in the mix for the manager job and the majority have already interviewed for the open position with the A’s.

What the Oakland A’s must decide about the candidates for their next manager

The six known candidates for the manager position include (in alphabetical order) along with their reported interview status with the franchise:

Darren Bush, Oakland A’s hitting coach

Joe Espada, Houston Astros bench coach (already interviewed)

Marcus Jensen, Oakland A’s bullpen coach

Mark Kotsay, Oakland A’s third base coach (already interviewed)

Matt Quatraro, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach (already interviewed)

Will Venable, Boston Red Sox bench coach (already interviewed)

On the list are three internal candidates and three from outside the organization, and that’s where the A’s will face their biggest decision.

Will they keep someone who has served under Melvin and continue a legacy that has been successful in recent seasons, but resulted in short-lived postseason appearances (being eliminated in the first round in five of their last six appearances)? After all, Kotsay, who has reportedly interviewed for manager positions in San Francisco, Detroit, and Houston as well, has been a part of Oakland’s staff since 2016, while Bush (since 2013) and Jensen (since 2015) have had longer tenures as A’s coaches than that.

Or will Oakland look outside the organization this offseason in hopes of finding the secret to not only once again reaching postseason baseball, but also be successful in October. That’s where bringing in fresh ideas from Boston, Tampa Bay, and, yes, even the disliked division rivals in Houston could benefit the A’s down the road.

Next. 3 moves for the A's this offseason. dark

Of course, there are plenty of other decisions coming for the A’s this offseason, including if the team will trade Matt Olson and other key members of the franchise. However, finding the next skipper (and the right person) to build upon past success while being nimble enough to adapt to current trends will be perhaps the biggest decision Oakland faces as the MLB lockout rolls along.

Home/Oakland Athletics