Melvin reunites with A's, joins front office as special assistant

MESA, Ariz. -- Bob Melvin’s love for the Athletics runs deep. It began as a kid when he frequented the Coliseum to cheer on his hero, Sal Bando, with the Swingin’ A’s of the 1970s and only grew over a 10-year run from 2011-21 that saw him leave a legacy as one of the franchise’s winningest managers.

After five years away from the green and gold, Melvin is returning to the organization in a new capacity. The longtime A's skipper has been hired as special assistant, baseball operations, the club announced on Thursday. Melvin will serve as an adviser to the front office on baseball matters.

“In the last few weeks, we talked a little bit more, and it seemed like a good fit for us to bring him back for his perspective on players and guys in the system,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “He obviously accomplished a lot in his time here. There are still a lot of the same familiar faces that he’ll remember from his time. It’s comfortable. It’s easy to sort of jump back into a working relationship.”

As part of his new duties, Melvin will join the A’s throughout Spring Training to watch the team play, providing his perspective on players while sitting alongside members of the front office and scouting department. Once the regular season begins, Melvin will visit the club’s Minor League affiliates to scout and provide feedback on A’s top prospects.

“The one thing myself or [assistant GM Dan Feinstein] don’t get to do is see the Minor Leagues a lot during the season and get that first-person perspective on who’s ready to move up a level or to the big leagues,” Forst said. “I look forward to getting Bob’s thoughts on that.”

Melvin, 64, has the second-most wins (853) by a manager in A’s history, trailing only the legendary Connie Mack, who holds the franchise record for wins (3,582) after guiding the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-50.

During his 10 seasons at the helm with the A’s, Melvin led the team to six playoff appearances – three American League West titles and three AL Wild Card berths – and earned two Manager of the Year Awards. After that decade of success, he took over as manager of the Padres from 2022-23, then managed the Giants from 2024-25. Overall, Melvin carries a 1,678-1,588 managerial record in 22 seasons, having also won Manager of the Year with the D-backs in 2007.

“It means a lot,” Melvin said, of returning to the A’s. “I’m just going to try to help out however I can. The easy part for me is the familiarity with the people in the organization.

“One of the things that the A’s do a great job of is creating continuity amongst the hierarchy there. There’s definitely an ‘A’s Way’ to do things. They keep their people there, whether it’s player development or Major League coaching staff, front office, clubhouse personnel, trainers, all that stuff. If you’ve been there before, it’s easy to walk in and feel comfortable and know the people that are there.”

Melvin has strong ties to the current A’s coaching staff, with most of its members still in place from his managerial tenure. That includes manager Mark Kotsay, who joined Melvin’s staff as bench coach in 2016 and continued to gain experience in roles as the A’s quality control coach from '18-20 and third-base coach in '21.

“It’s great that Bob is coming back,” Kotsay said. “The history and the relationships that he’s had here, it’s an easy transition. Bob knows how we function and the way we work. To have Bob here sitting at a macro level, I think that’s invaluable. He can help everyone see things through a different lens.”

This is not something Melvin views as a short-term gig. He is committed to stepping away from managing and has a desire to remain part of the A’s organization throughout its journey toward relocating to Southern Nevada in 2028, when their new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip is scheduled to open in time for Opening Day.

“No more managing,” Melvin said. “It takes its toll on you a little bit. I’ve done it a long time and have been incredibly lucky to be able to do it as long as I have in as many different places as I have. I’m excited about the new role and excited about being in an organization that I have a lot of familiarity with.”