New York Mets owner Steven Cohen announced on Saturday that veteran skipper Buck Showalter would become the team's fourth manager since the end of the 2018 season. The appointment of Showalter, who had been competing for the job alongside Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada and Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro, means there's one managerial hole to fill: that of the Oakland Athletics.
The A's might not have a vacancy for much longer, however. According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the A's are "closing in" on hiring a new skipper, with third-base coach Mark Kotsay appearing to be the top candidate.
The A's opened up the position back in October, when they permitted longtime skipper Bob Melvin to bail for the same job with the San Diego Padres. (The A's later allowed bench coach Ryan Christenson to leave for San Diego, too.) Oakland has since taken its time in the process, with the last public update coming more than a week ago. At that point, the A's had narrowed their search down to six candidates:
Darren Bush, A's hitting coachJoe Espada, Astros bench coachMarcus Jensen, A's bullpen coachMark Kotsay, A's third base coachMatt Quatraro, Rays bench coach Will Venable, Red Sox bench coachHiring a new manager is expected to be the first big move in what's likely to be a transformative offseason for the Athletics. Once Major League Baseball's owner-imposed lockout ends, the A's are expected to entertain trading away several players from their recent cores, including first baseman Matt Olson, third baseman Matt Chapman, and pitchers Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt, and Sean Manaea.
The A's will be the fourth and final team to complete a managerial change this winter. Previously, the St. Louis Cardinals hired Oliver Marmol to replace Mike Shildt; the Padres snagged Melvin; and the Mets tagged Showalter.
