A’s Melvin could leave, says he won’t

A’s manager Bob Melvin, whose contract ends after this season but includes a team option for 2022, indicated Friday he would welcome that option being exercised.

“I have no desire to go anywhere else,” Melvin said in his pregame media session. “I’m perfectly happy here and my bosses have taken good care of me here. So that’s where I stand on it.

“It’s not my job to pick up an option, it’s the people above me. But I’m really happy here.”

Melvin, 59, just began his 11th season as A’s manager — the longest uninterrupted tenure with one team among current MLB managers. The A’s have reached the postseason six times in his nine full seasons at the helm.

Melvin, general manager David Forst and vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane each received contract extensions following the 2018 season. Beane’s contract length was unknown; Forst received a fouryear extension through 2023.

Forst was asked this past week about Melvin’s option for 2022 and indicated that Melvin would have some input in the decision.

“His option at this point is more a function of what he wants to do rather than what we want,” Forst said. “He’s earned that right. So that will be the conversation we have going forward.”

Melvin, a Palo Alto native who attended Cal, could attract plenty of interest as a free agent. He has been named Manager of the Year three times (most recently in 2018) and is one of six managers to win the award in both leagues. His 1,260 managerial wins rank behind Tony La Russa, Dusty Baker, Terry Francona and Joe Maddon among active managers.

Oakland named Melvin its interim manager in June 2011. He entered this season with a record of 767688 as A’s manager. Over the past three seasons, Oakland’s winning percentage of .599 ranks third among AL teams behind the Astros (.622) and Yankees (.615).