The Athletics have been baseball’s most unexpected success story in 2018, and on the heels of a playoff berth and at least 96 wins, the front office plans to sit down with manager Bob Melvin to discuss a contract extension after the season, Fancred’s Jon Heyman reports.
Regardless of how the 2018 season had played out, it seemed like the organization had Melvin in its long-term plans. The Yankees reportedly wanted to interview Melvin for their managerial vacancy last winter but were denied permission, and general manager David Forst went on record with John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle shortly thereafter to publicly declare that Melvin is “absolutely the right guy” to guide the Athletics’ emerging young core.
That statement rings truer than ever now as Melvin’s upstart Athletics gear up for an American League Wild Card showdown against the Yankees next week. Melvin and his staff have helped to guide a group that has, remarkably, seen top starter Sean Manaea undergo shoulder surgery that’ll likely keep him out through 2019 and lost another four rotation pieces (or potential rotation pieces) to Tommy John surgery in Kendall Graveman, Jharel Cotton, Daniel Gossett and top prospect A.J. Puk.
Oakland has incredibly relied on a patchwork rotation of Mike Fiers, Edwin Jackson and a blast-from-the-past pairing of former green-and-gold stars Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson. With the starting staff in shambles (relative to Opening Day expectations), Oakland’s bullpen, anchored by a juggernaut breakout from Blake Treinen, has thrived. Trade acquisitions Fernando Rodney, Jeurys Familia and Ryan Buchter have all thrown well, while free-agent pickup Yusmeiro Petit has been an invaluable multi-inning piece and rookie Lou Trivino has been similarly excellent. Meanwhile, a rising core of position players headlined by emerging superstar Matt Chapman, young slugger Matt Olson and out-of-nowhere center field sensation Ramon Laureano paired with steady veterans Jed Lowrie and Marcus Semien to propel a second-half surge for the ages.
Pulling the strings behind it all has been Melvin, who in addition to perhaps being rewarded with a new contract could also take home American League Manager of the Year honors. He’s currently signed through the 2019 season — the same season through which Forst and executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane are signed — but it seems as though the Oakland front office is understandably interested in prolonging that relationship. The 56-year-old Melvin has been Oakland’s manager since June of 2011 and is 633-597 since being appointed. This will be the Athletics’ fourth postseason appearances under his watch and the team’s fourth winning effort in his seven full seasons at the helm.
Happy for Melvin, although I was kind of hoping they would let him hit the market and he would come across the Bay when Bochy hangs them up after next season.
I thought Brad Pitt was the GM of the A’s
Ha! Good stuff!
“Giam….Giambani?”
“Giambi.”
Melvin’s team is better than any N.L. team this year. Good job Mel.
A’s BoMel should be signed for life lol…
Haha Khris Davis missing from this list
What about that home field in the Wild Card game?
Lol a sad day when Yankee fans are reduced to bragging about home field advantage in a wild card game. Take what you can get I guess
A’s would have had it if they could have played 20 games against the O’s like the yanks did.
Yea the Rangers are top shelf.
Still better than the O’s. O’s are historically bad. Maybe one of the worst teams in the last 50 years. Only the 2003 tigers had a worse record than them in the last 50 years..
I love Narratives! Lets flip the script:
O’s had to play Boston and New York, same year both these teams had 100 wins.
Does that guarantee playoff success? Obviously not. (Don’t try strawman me lol)
Let me add another wrinkle.. The RAYS would LEAD AL Central w/ 90 wins. They have 89. Must be those darn O’s… Give me a break lol.
Sorry for replying, but would like to add:
First time ever both teams had 100+ Wins. Ever thought Yankees and Red Sox are both historically good?
John..jto knows it’s for him. FYI, I think the Yanks might lose that game…
Oh ok it’s a personal beef. I assumed it was random bragging and felt compelled to call it out
Khris has the potential to put on a show in Yankee Bandbox, er, Stadium.
Can’t believe how much Melvin’s stunning mediocrity has not affected the weird squad that somehow nearly won 100 games this year. There’s zero chance the A’s ever win a playoff series with Melvin at the helm. He’s a career .500 manager, there’s plenty of .500+ guys out there who can outmanage Melvin all day – like the A’s don’t stand a chance against Maddon’s Cubs. Give the job to RC already – he’s the one responsible for almost all this young talent coming to the bigs off a winning season in the minors.
I don’t have a dog in this hunt but after that diatribe I kinda hope the A’s win it all and Melvin gets MoY.
A manager’s career record is an easy but very lazy way to evaluate a manager’s performance. For example – Bob Melvin has spent a lot of time with low budget teams like the A’s. Dave Roberts, on the other hand, has spent all his career with the bottomless pocketed Dodgers. Player retention via payroll makes a huge difference in these things. If all you look at is wins or career winning percentage, it would be easy to believe Roberts is the better manager. I’ve watched a lot of Dodger baseball, especially in the playoffs, and I think he has done very little (if anything) to elevate the championship hopes of that team. I’d take Melvin all day every day.
Your guy Kyle Murray is riding the pine.Sure hope he can play baseball…
Great manager. A’s denied the Yankees’ attempt to interview Melvin last winter, without extending him. This was overdue.
This is especially true, after the 2018 A’s exceeded regular season expectations, by every stretch of the imagination Imo
What has he done to be called a great manager? Another small sample size X. Hell might as well call the Cardinals new manager great…