ARLINGTON -- The A's will continue riding a youth movement under the helm of manager Bob Melvin, who has agreed to stay with the club through 2019 on a one-year extension.
Melvin's contract was set to expire after 2018, but his new deal keeps him in place alongside executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst for at least two more seasons. Beane and Forst's contracts also run through 2019.
"We've been together a while as a group, so that makes me feel particularly good," said Melvin, a Bay Area native. "Whether it was one year or one day or 10 years, it doesn't affect the way I do my job here. Obviously not lost on me that I'm able to do this at home, which is pretty cool.
"I appreciate the fact they have enough faith in me to keep me around another year."
Thursday's announcement triggered talk of continued unity within an organization that's embarking on a rebuild, a component many agreed is necessary during such times of transition. The A's will soon close out their third consecutive losing season, but they've played better of late with the many young players expected to form the core of a future contender.
Entering Thursday's series opener at Texas, the A's (73-85) were 15-10 in September.
"It's nice to see that they're making a commitment to having consistent pieces," A's outfielder Khris Davis said. "That's important. Bob's really easy to play for. He's relaxed and easy-going, but at the same time, he obviously expects us to play the game the right way. He's my favorite manager I've played for."
Melvin, 55, has a 535-532 record in six-plus seasons since taking over as A's manager in June 2011. He took the club to three straight postseason appearances from 2012-14 and was named American League Manager of the Year in '12, becoming the seventh manager in Major League history to win the award in both the AL and NL. He earned the honor in 2007 with Arizona.
Earlier this season, Melvin became just the 64th manager in MLB history to reach 1,000 wins.
"First and foremost, Bob deserves this extension," Beane said. "He's done a great job going through this transition. He's been fully supportive, not just from an organizational standpoint, but to these young players. We couldn't have a better man for the position. He comes to the park every day with the same mindset, no matter who he's got on the roster. He tries to figure out a way to win."
Melvin's steady nature has been essential to the continued development of young players who are experiencing the typical growing pains that accompany rookie seasons.
"He's so even keel. He really is," rookie Chad Pinder said. "It's one steady beat. As a player, that's easy to play for, because the highs aren't too high and the lows aren't too low. If something needs to be said, he'll say it, but he lets us play. I don't think there's anybody else we would want managing us from here forward."
"Managers always say their door is always open and they're good communicators and open to discuss anything, but very few live up to what they say," Beane said. "In Bob's case, that's very much how he is."