A's Add Bobby Crosby to 2024 Coaching Staff

Oakland A's add Bobby Crosby, Dan Hubbs to coaching staff

The Oakland A's have made some tweaks to their coaching staff for the 2024 season. The most notable change will be the addition of former A's shortstop Bobby Crosby being added to the staff as the team's first base coach. He has managed Oakland's Double-A affiliate, the Midland RockHounds, since 2021, and was also a coach with the 'Hounds in 2019. 

Crosby was selected by the A's in the first round of the 2001 Draft (25th overall) and won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2004. During his time with Midland, Crosby has already coached some of the players that made it to the big leagues in 2023, like Zack Gelof, Tyler Soderstrom, and Lawrence Butler, along with players we have yet to see in Oakland like Denzel Clarke and Max Muncy. 

Crosby's addition will get him some experience as a coach at the big-league level, but he'll also be used to build upon those connections he's already fostered with a number of the young players the A's are hoping will be a part of their next core group. 

In addition to Crosby, the A's have also added Dan Hubbs as the bullpen coach. Hubbs joins the Major League staff after serving as 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 will be replacing Mike McCarthy, who is no longer with the A's organization, while Crosby is taking over for Mike Aldrete, who will be the A's hitting coach, alongside Chris Cron. Tommy Everidge had that role last season but is being moved to an assistant minor league hitting coordinator. Everidge always had a smile on his face and brought a ton of energy, which was crucial during the A's tough 2023 season. 

Darren Bush will remain the bench coach for the A's, but has also been deemed the director of hitting. Eric Martins remains the third base coach and Scott Emerson will still be the pitching coach. Marcus Jensen will stay on as the quality control coach and Ramón Hernandez will serve as Major League coach and interpreter. 

The big addition here is Crosby, but the most intriguing one could be Hubbs. How much of a role did he play in laying the groundwork for some of Detroit's pitching turnaround? The Tigers had the worst ERA in baseball in 2020 at 5.63, his first season, but it was also a shortened campaign and a lot of other stuff was going on in the world. In 2021 they improved to 17th in baseball with a 4.32 ERA. 

The A's held a 5.48 team ERA this past season. Could he have some tricks up his sleeves for a similar turnaround?