This story was excerpted from Martín Gallegos’ A’s Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The A’s coaching staff is going to have a bit of a different look for 2024.

Two new faces were added to A’s manager Mark Kotsay’s staff for the upcoming season: Bobby Crosby and Dan Hubbs. Crosby inherits the first-base coach position from Mike Aldrete, who will join Chris Cron as a hitting coach. Hubbs will take over as bullpen coach, replacing Mike McCarty.

Here’s a closer look at the two new coaches:

Crosby hardly needs an introduction. Formerly a shortstop with the A’s who won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2004, Crosby has risen through the organization as a coach, most recently serving as manager of the Double-A Midland RockHounds from 2021-23. Over that time, he’s had the opportunity to work closely with top prospects such as Zack Gelof, Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, all of whom made their big league debuts with Oakland last season.

“Bobby and I were teammates,” said Kotsay. “It’s exciting to have him on board. I think Bobby is cut from the same cloth that I am in terms of the grinding mentality and what it means to be an Oakland Athletic. I think his relationships with the younger players that he developed in Double-A will help and be impactful for our younger guys.”

Hubbs joins the Major League staff after serving as a Minor League pitching performance coach last year, his first with the A’s organization. He previously spent two seasons as director of pitching development and strategies with the Detroit Tigers and coached for 20 years at the Division 1 collegiate level, spending 12 years as an assistant coach at California, one year as associate head coach at USC and seven years as head coach at USC. Hubbs was selected by the Dodgers in the 16th round of the 1993 MLB Draft out of USC.

“I thought Dan did an unbelievable job this year throughout the Minor League system with building relationships with young pitchers,” Kotsay said. “Combining both the coaching aspect from a subjective standpoint and also an objective standpoint by utilizing data and the biomechanics side and incorporating that in his teachings. It’s a great complement for [pitching coach] Scott Emerson. I’m excited about their relationship and what they’re going to be able to do with these young pitchers.”