Athletics hire Mark Kotsay as manager, per report

The Athletics are hiring Mark Kotsay, who has been on their staff since 2016 and most recently served as their third base coach, as their new manager. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman was the first to report the news:

Kotsay succeeds Bob Melvin, who left Oakland earlier this offseason to become the new manager of the Padres. He spent a solid chunk of his 17-year major league career in Oakland, playing for the Athletics from 2004-07, and he’s become a well-respected coach since retiring following the 2013 season. He became a special assistant with the Padres immediately after his retirement and served as San Diego’s hitting coach in 2015 before joining the Athletics as their bench coach. He later served as a quality control coach before becoming the third base coach.

Kotsay will have a tough challenge ahead of him, as he’ll oversee a team with a couple major clubhouse issues on the horizon. The Athletics are expected to tear down whenever the lockout ends and trade many of their star players, and ownership has been vocal about its desire to move the team — likely to Las Vegas. Kotsay’s people management skills will be crucial as the Athletics go through a difficult transition, and his institutional knowledge within the organization will likely be valuable.