Lots of change is set to happen this offseason in the A's organization, as they sit just one year away from making their big move to Las Vegas.
Back in August, the A's elected to fire their general manager, David Forst. Forst spent 11 years as the team's GM, and now the organization is ready for a new direction.
Before the offseason kicks off, it's expected that the organization could name its new GM any day now, and as soon as they take the job, there are a few big decisions they will have to make. We have discussed a few possible GM options, as well as some of the decisions that will be made soon.
The pending club options for Jeff McNeil and Jeffrey Springs could depend on Luis Severino's decision to accept or decline his $22 million player option. Bigger than any of these decisions is whether or not the team will hold onto manager Mark Kotsay following the rough 2026 season.
Mark Kotsay's Track Record
Since becoming the manager of the Athletics back in 2022, Mark Kotsay has not had a winning season with the team. He served as the team's third-base coach before landing the manager job, and his numbers haven't been very good.
His record as a manager is 319-491, and his best season was in 2025 where the team went 76-86. In his first two seasons, he managed the team to a pair of 100-loss seasons. Besides 2025, the skipper hasn't won 70 games as a manager.
Kotsay's next best season came in 2024, when the club won 69 games and finished with a 69-93 record.
Heading into 2026, the team had huge expectations, considering the AL West would be one of the weakest divisions in all of baseball. Unfortunately, pitching struggles and injuries led the team to finish with a record of 64-98.
The A’s Could, but Should Not Go in a Different Direction
With the A's big move coming in 2028, this is the last offseason the club has before they are the Las Vegas Athletics. Any changes the team wants to make for Vegas should come now, rather than having a whole new staff in their inaugural year there.
If the A's front office has any questions about Mark Kotsay being their manager of the future, now could be the time to dismiss him. The changes in the front office could also mean a change in manager.
However, getting rid of Kotsay could be a very bad decision. In his first few years as a manager, he was dealt a bad hand. He took over in the middle of the team's rebuild, and now the team looks like a possible contender once again heading into the 2027 season.
Because Kotsay has lots of experience now as a manager with his group of guys, it's probably smart to let him do his thing. He has been acknowledged as a good manager in the past, so getting rid of him before a potential contending season could be a huge mistake.
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