As the Athletics await a vote on their potential relocation to Las Vegas, could the team's manager Mark Kotsay be headed out of Oakland even sooner?
The 47-year-old is "in the mix" to become the next manager of the New York Mets, SNY's Andy Martino reported Thursday, noting it's unclear if Kotsay is one of the candidates to receive an in-person interview.
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The Mets fired Buck Showalter last month after a disappointing 2023 MLB season for New York. The Showalter-led Mets topped the league in spending yet finished 74-87 and in fourth place in the NL East. In Oakland, Kotsay and the A's secured the worst record in franchise history with an MLB-high 112 losses -- albeit with the lowest payroll in the league.
The A's hired Kotsay as a first-time manager prior to the 2022 MLB season, signing their former third base coach to a three-year contract through 2024 with a club option for 2025. While Oakland allowed ex-manager Bob Melvin to jump ship for the San Diego Padres free of compensation before the team hired Kotsay, it's unclear if the Mets would receive the same perks with Kotsay also still under contract.
But it's also unclear just how far Kotsay will get in New York's hiring process. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Thursday, citing sources, that Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell is the Mets' top choice and recently set out for an interview with the team.
With plenty of uncertainty surrounding the A's and their future home, Oakland fans now have to wait and see if their team's manager will be on the move, too.