The Athletics signed manager Mark Kotsay to a three-year contract extension which will take him through the first season the Major League Baseball team is slated to play in Las Vegas.
Kotsay, who was originally named the A’s manager in December 2021, signed an extension through the 2028 MLB campaign, with a club option for 2029, the team announced Monday.
The A’s will play at a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento for three seasons (2025-2027) until their planned $1.75 billion stadium on the Strip is complete.
“Takes (Kotsay) through 2028, with an option for 2029 and guarantees he will be the manager of this team through our time in Sacramento and into the future of this franchise in Las Vegas,” A’s general manager David Forst said Monday during a news conference.
Kotsay, 49, the 31st manager in A’s history, initially signed a three-year deal with a club option for this season, which the team exercised in 2023. He is only the sixth manager the A’s have had in the last 39 years, joining Tony La Russa (1986-1995), Art Howe (1996-2002), Ken Macha (2003-2006), Bob Geren (2007-2011) and Bob Melvin (2011-2021).
Kotsay’s managerial record is 179-307. Last season was the A’s best under Kotsay, with the team finishing 69-93 during its final season in Oakland.
He is looking to provide stability as the franchise goes through a period of transition.
“The circumstances are what they are,” Kotsay said. “Our mindset is that we’re going to deal with those circumstances together and that it’s only going to make us stronger.”
The A’s are in the process of getting their permits and entitlements approved for their 33,000-fan capacity ballpark, to be built on 9 acres of the 35-acre Tropicana site. Plans are for crews to break ground sometime between April and June.
The stadium is expected to be completed in early 2028 and be ready for Opening Day that year.
An update on the ballpark is expected at the next Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting March 6.
Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
