Oakland A’s: It is time to extend Bob Melvin

Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin has one final year left on this contract. It is time to lock him in with a new deal.

The Oakland A’s value continuity when it comes to the front office and the dugout. Oakland’s top executives have been with the franchise for years, with Billy Beane into his fourth decade as a member of the organization. Manager Bob Melvin has been a key part of that consistent message, having spent ten years as the A’s skipper.

However, everything must come to an end. Beane is expected to depart from the A’s at some point in the semi-near future, as the merger of his investment group with the ownership of the Red Sox would cause a conflict of interest. That will lead to changes in the front office, as a new head of the baseball operations department, and possibly a new general manager, would need to be appointed.

The same could happen on the bench. Melvin is in the final year of his contract, and could presumably head elsewhere once the 2021 season comes to an end. While the A’s are focused on filling out their roster, this is a situation that also needs to be addressed.

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One could say that Melvin has been as important to the A’s as Beane and GM David Forst. While the front office has brought in those bargains, it has been up to Melvin to put those players in the best possible situations. The results speak for themselves, as the A’s have reached the postseason six times in the past nine years, claiming three divisional titles in that span.

The A’s also do not seem to have a successor in mind. Eventually, they will need to find a replacement for Melvin on the bench, as the 59 year old is not likely to channel his inner Connie Mack and manage into his 80s. Ryan Christensen or Mark Kotsay would presumably be the next in line, but both need more coaching experience.

Even if the plan is to hand the reins over to someone within the organization, the time would not appear to be right. The A’s need that continuity to continue on the bench as the front office faces a potential reorganization. Melvin needs to be there on Opening Day in 2022, and perhaps a couple of years beyond that point as well.

Oakland A’s manager Bob Melvin has just one more year left on his contract. It is time for an extension.