Brad Ausmus bringing experience to new position with Oakland A’s
By Kevin Henry
Brad Ausmus will bring a wealth of Major League Baseball experience to his new position as the bench coach for the Oakland A’s, making him a needed voice as Mark Kotsay embarks on his first season as the team’s manager.
As reported on Friday, Brad Ausmus is expected to be hired as the bench coach for the Oakland A’s
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman tweeted that Ausmus is expected to land the new position with the Oakland A’s, marking his first MLB job since he was let go as manager of the Los Angeles Angels following the 2019 campaign. He held the position with the Angels for one year, but did gain a familiarity with the American League West during his tenure.
Earlier this offseason, Ausmus was among the candidates reportedly considered for the manager position with the New York Mets before Buck Showalter was hired. In five seasons guiding the Detroit Tigers and Angels, Ausmus has a 386-422 record.
With Kotsay taking over the A’s after the departure of Bob Melvin to the San Diego Padres this offseason, Ausmus will likely be a sounding board for Kotsay, who is embarking on his first-ever managerial position. Ausmus could well bring some steadiness during what could be an interesting season ahead for Oakland, with rumors swirling about a potential sell-off of talent (such as Matt Chapman and Matt Olson) as well as movement happening on a new stadium that will either keep the A’s in Oakland or hasten their move out of the Bay Area.
As pointed out by MLBTradeRumors, this will be the first “coaching” job for Ausmus. He was a special assistant with the San Diego Padres before earning the manager’s job with the Tigers.
Next. 3 moves for the A's this offseason. dark
Oakland is building a solid infrastructure in the dugout with Kotsay being a veteran of the franchise and Ausmus having MLB leadership experience. Both will be critical as the A’s prepare for what potentially lies ahead in 2022.