Under new manager Mark Cootse, the Oakland A replaced their coaching staff in the 2022 season.
The team officially added Brad Osmus as the team’s bench coach, MLB manager for five seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 2014 to 2017 and the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. Osmus provides management experience behind Coates, who will make his big league managerial debut next season. In place of Bob Melvin, who went on to manage the San Diego Padres.
The hitting coach staff saw the biggest change, with Tommy Everdge replacing Darren Bush as hitting coach and Chris Cron replacing Eric Martins as assistant hitting coach.
Tommy Everridge, 38, spent eight seasons as a hitting coach in the A’s farm system, serving as a coach for short-season Vermont in 2014, then for Single-A Stockton, Double-A Midland and Triple-A. ended as Las Vegas Hitting Coach in 2021.
The hitting coach changes come on the heels of a disappointing offensive season for the A, who missed the playoffs despite boasting a roster with hitting talent. As a team, the AK’s .723 Ops ranked 15th in MLB and their .238 were 21st. His 199 home runs rank him 13th in MLB.
While the A’s team may look different in 2022 than in 2021 as they are trading some of their offensive stars – most likely Matt Olsen and Matt Chapman – the A’s are looking to rekindle their offense that last season. was mediocre.
Avridge, a Santa Rosa native, was drafted by Oakland in the 10th round of the 2004 draft and played six years in the AK system during his nine-year professional career.
Cron, the father of MLB player CJ Cron, joins the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as A’s assistant hitting coach. The 57-year-old was a minor league coordinator last year and collected the 20-year minor league manager between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. Starting in 2014, he served as the Diamondbacks Minor League Hitting Coordinator for four seasons. He last managed the Triple-A Renault team in 2019.
Bush and the Martins remain on staff and head to the Diamonds. Bush would take on Kotse’s old role as third base and run containment coach. Martins will go to the first base and infield coach. Mike Aldrette, first base coach in 2021, will be the quality control coach – another role previously occupied by Kotse.
Not much change in the pitching side. Scott Emerson will return as A’s pitching coach and Marcus Jensen as bullpen coach.