Mark Kotsay is set to become the Athletics' new manager, and there are plenty of reasons to like the hire.
"It's definitely more than satisfying ... I would even say exciting," NBC Sports California's Brodie Brazil believes.
Kotsay, the A's former third base coach as well as an ex-player, already has a sense of familiarity with his players and is well respected in the clubhouse.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"To bring in somebody who's never managed a club before at any level would normally be a bit of a question mark, he would be intimidating," Brazil says. "But for me, knowing him and knowing how he knows this current group, I just think it was very important to bring in somebody who has already been on the inside of this club, their inner workings.
"Especially for the next couple seasons -- you don't necessarily know what the A's are going to do player personnel-wise, you just want somebody that's good for now and definitely good for the future."
RELATED: Oakland EIR release "huge milestone" for A's planned ballpark
NBC Sports California A's analyst Dallas Braden agrees, saying that Kotsay checks "all the boxes" and the A's "couldn't have had a better hire."
Kotsay and Braden were teammates on the 2007 A's, so Braden knows as well as anyone the impact Kotsay can have on shaping what could be a young and rebuilding Oakland roster.
While there are a ton of unknowns about how the A's will look in the 2022 season, Kotsay will bring a sense of stability and mentorship to the clubhouse that Brazil and Braden believe will be a great influence on the team.