A's Extend Manager Mark Kotsay Through 2028

The Athletics have announced that they have extended manager Mark Kotsay for three additional years, through 2028, with a club option for 2029. Both the A's and Kotsay had expressed interest in sticking together earlier this offseason, and Kotsay said towards the end of 2024 that he wants to see this rebuild through.

Kotsay took over as the A's skipper for the 2022 season, directly after the team had traded away Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Sean Manaea, and Chris Bassitt. They would also trade Frankie Montas during that season and Sean Murphy the following winter.

With the club entering a rebuilding phase when he took over, the team has gone 179-307 with Kotsay calling the shots, including two 100+ loss campaigns. The A's seem to be headed in the right direction, however, after a 19-game improvement from 2023 to 2024, finishing last season with a 69-93 record.

Not only has he had to deal with the roster limitations of the past few years, but in 2023 the franchise also announced their plans for relocation to Las Vegas, leaving Kotsay as the one to answer questions from the media on a decision he has no role in making.

The A's managerial job has been one of the most difficult in the game recently, and not once has he lost the clubhouse, which speaks to how he goes about his job and how much the players respect him.

The Athletics are headed to West Sacramento for the next three or four seasons, depending on the progress that is made on the proposed Las Vegas ballpark.

Kotsay's new deal will cover all of the Sacramento seasons, and depending on when a move to Vegas would happen, could see him at the helm for the first year or two in Sin City. The A's have said they expect to open their Vegas ballpark in 2028, with construction expected to start by the end of June of this year.

Following the signings of Luis Severino, Gio Urshela, and José Leclerc, along with the trade for Jeffrey Springs, Kotsay will have a little more to work with in 2025.