Mark Kotsay to interview for A's bench coach position

Share

Editor's note: The above video is from Billy Beane's media availability on Oct. 5.

Former A’s center fielder Mark Kotsay will interview for Oakland’s bench coach position next week, a source confirmed to CSN California.

Mike Aldrete served as manager Bob Melvin’s bench coach last season and is still under contract through next season, so it stands to reason that Aldrete could remain on Oakland’s coaching staff in another capacity for 2016 should the A’s bring in a different bench coach. Tye Waller was let go as first base coach Oct. 14, and Aldrete coached first base for Melvin in 2004 with Seattle, so that’s one possible scenario.

Kotsay spent last season as the San Diego Padres hitting coach, his first year on a coaching staff of any kind. He played 17 seasons in the majors and retired following the 2013 season. He worked in the Padres’ front office in 2014 as a special assistant to the general manager.

[STIGLICH: Beane: A's have decision to make at third base]

Kotsay manned center field for the A’s from 2004-07, helping them to an American League West championship in 2006. The San Francisco Chronicle was first to report that Kotsay would interview with the A’s.

Earlier Friday, the A’s announced two more front office promotions. Billy Owens was named Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel and Dan Feinstein was named Assistant General Manager, Pro Scouting and Player Personnel.

Athletics

Find the latest Athletics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Kotsay welcomes ‘higher level' expectations for Athletics in 2025

Poole: Why Rickey was, for too short a time, the best among us

These announcements come about a month after Billy Beane was bumped up to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and David Forst was elevated to General Manager. Feinstein and Owens join Dan Kantrovitz as assistant GMs on the A’s chain of command. And while it was previously known that Kantrovitz got serious consideration for GM openings in Milwaukee and Philadelphia, Beane revealed Friday that Owens also interviewed for the Phillies’ GM job.

“This is probably long overdue,” Beane said of Owens’ promotion. “Billy’s well respected in the industry to the point where he’ll now be considered for some GM openings going forward.”

[STIGLICH: A's could be active in deep free agent market]

Feinstein, a Bay Area native as is Owens, has been the A’s pro scouting director since 2012, when he returned for his second stint with Oakland after six years spent in the Rays’ front office. His duties now expand to overseeing the A’s international scouting efforts as well, a role that has grown in importance across the majors as the international market has become such a rich source of talent for teams.

“In Dan’s case, he’s also getting a big increase in responsibility,” Beane said.

**

With free agency officially starting Friday night, players can now sign with any team. The A’s certainly have upgrades they can make around the diamond, and most positions are flush with talented players in the free agent pool.

Beane talked as if the A’s might survey the landscape for a while.

“You have to understand to a certain extent that it’s a bit of an art auction,” he said. “You’re going to overpay. And then after a while it’s like buying tickets to a game that’s already started. You can get good deals.”

Contact Us