Fresh off one of their most satisfying seasons in years, the A's announced Monday they're keeping their leadership intact by signing long-term contracts with vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, general manager David Forst and manager Bob Melvin.
All three were instrumental in helping Oakland become the most surprising team in baseball this season _ the A's went from three straight last-place finishes to 97 wins and a wild-card berth in 2018.
"I'm proud of the tremendous success of our team under the leadership of Billy, David and Bob and am excited to have that continue for years to come," said A's owner John Fisher.
Melvin's contract has been extended two years, through the 2021 season, in a deal that will pay him around $3.5 million per season, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Forst got four more years added to his contract, good through 2023, according to the Chronicle.
There was some uncertainty before the seasons surrounding the status of Beane, Forst and Melvin, all of whom had contracts that ended after next season. Particularly with Melvin, who was denied a chance to interview for the Yankees managerial spot in the offseason but not immediately offered an extension.
Beane, who is also a minority team owner, indicated after the team's wild-card game loss to the Yankees earlier this month he was confident Melvin would stick around.
"Bob is one of the best in the game, and he's perfect for us," Beane said. "The idea is that he's here for a long time, and for the rest of his career."
Melvin's teams in Oakland have made the playoffs four times in his eight years and have gone 634-599 overall. He's considered a front-runner for American League Manager of the Year after the A's overcame a rash of injuries and baseball's lowest payroll heading into the season to make the playoffs.
Beane has been the real architect for the A's the past 21 seasons, turning his "Moneyball" approach into nine postseason appearances in 21 years, along with a little notoriety in Hollywood. He served 18 seasons as general manager before moving upstairs as the leader of baseball operations.
Forst was elevated to Beane's GM spot and has also been an integral part in keeping the underdog A's relevant. He and Beane were able to patch an injury-riddled pitching rotation with some key, low-cost additions in Edwin Jackson, Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Mike Fiers. Those pitchers, coupled with a slugging offense led by Khris Davis, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and Jed Lowrie, helped the A's go on a wild second-half tear _ they went 65-29 to end the season and clinch a playoff spot.
