The (Sacramento) Athletics have locked up manager Mark Kotsay to a three-year contract extension through 2028, the team announced Monday. The contract includes a club option for 2029 and should keep Kotsay at the helm when the team moves into their new ballpark in Las Vegas. That is tentatively scheduled for 2028.
“There’s definitely a higher level of expectation,” Kotsay said after the A’s opened spring training (via NBC Sports Bay Area). “You can look at the progress we made in the second half and the group that came together, that nucleus of guys. I think they’ve built a culture in there that they believe in each other, that they know they belong, and that started kind of in that July-August run.”
Kotsay, 49, is entering his fourth season as A’s manager. The team is 179-307 (.368) under his watch, though that is no fault of Kotsay’s. Owner John Fisher ordered the roster stripped down to the studs and payroll slashed as part of his efforts to secure a new ballpark deal, which led to the relocation to Sacramento and, eventually, Las Vegas.
During his three years as manager, Kotsay has been a steadying presence at a time of tremendous upheaval for the Athletics. His players love his positive attitude and honesty, and the way he relates to the ups and downs of the long season given his own lengthy playing career. Texas Rangers manager and future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy praised Kotsay last year. From MLB.com:
“I look at players when they play for me and the way they lead,” Bochy said. “It can be by example, and what I mean by that is just how hard they play the game with intensity and enthusiasm, because that’s contagious, or they’ll do it vocally. Mark did both. Mark was not afraid to say something to a player when they maybe didn’t do something right or needed a pat on the back. He was a very caring teammate. But also, he wasn’t afraid to be honest with them. As I got to know him, even before he started managing, I knew this would be the path for him. I think he’s going to have a long career as a manager and he’s going to do a great job.”
The A’s spent some money this offseason, most notably signing Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract that is the richest in franchise history. They also traded for lefty Jeffrey Springs, signed setup man José Leclerc, and extended All-Star slugger Brent Rooker. Rooker signed a five-year, $60 million contract after slugging 39 homers in 2024.
Severino, Springs, and Leclerc join an interesting foundation that includes Rooker, 2024 breakout slugger Lawrence Butler, All-Star closer Mason Miller, and others like JJ Bleday, Zack Gelof, JP Sears, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jacob Wilson. The A’s went 69-93 last year. They may not go to the postseason in 2025, but they won’t be a pushover either.
Kotsay and the Athletics are moving into Sutter Health Park in Sacramento this season. It is a Triple-A facility and will be their home through at least 2027, and possibly 2028 as well. The club’s proposed new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip is already over budget.
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