Report: Mark Kotsay, Matt Quatraro, Will Venable Among Candidates for A's Manager Job

The Oakland Athletics are reportedly casting a wide net as they look for their next manager.

Britt Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Mark Kotsay, Matt Quatraro, Will Venable, Joe Espada, Marcus Jensen and Darren Bush have all either interviewed or will interview for the position. Kotsay, Jensen and Bush are all part of the Athletics' organization.

The position is open because Bob Melvin left the team to become the manager of the San Diego Padres.

Oakland isn't the only team reportedly interested in some of these candidates.

Adam Berry of MLB.com reported the New York Mets requested permission to interview Quatraro, who is the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. Berry noted Quatraro previously interviewed for the manager position with the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.

Elsewhere, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com listed Espada, who is the bench coach for the Houston Astros, as a potential candidate for the Mets as well.

Kotsay stands out as someone who played from 1997 through 2013 for the Florida Marlins, Padres, Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. He was with San Diego for a time after his retirement and is currently the third base coach for Oakland.

Venable also played from 2008 through 2016 for the Padres, Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was on the staff for the Chicago Cubs after his retirement but is currently the bench coach for the Red Sox.

The Athletics are also looking to bounce back in 2022 after missing the playoffs at 86-76 during the 2021 campaign.

It was the first time the American League West team missed the postseason since the 2017 campaign, although it is still trying to win the World Series for the first time since the 1989 season.