ARLINGTON, Texas — A’s reliever Santiago Casilla has been a part of three championship teams, so he knows a team on the rise when he sees one. One of those requirements Casilla believes is needed in order to take that next step is a quality manager. He saw Bruce Bochy’s leadership make an impact as a member of the San Francisco Giants, and he believes Bob Melvin could do the same in Oakland.
After learning the news of Melvin’s one-year extension that would keep the manager around through the 2019 season, Casilla was glad to know that this young and inexperienced A’s roster would get the chance to be molded by an accomplished figure such as Melvin, who has racked up over 1,000 wins in his 14 years managing at the big league level.