OAKLAND -- As the shock from Bob Melvin’s unexpected departure dissipates, the A’s must turn the page in search of a new manager for the 2022 campaign.

In addition to arranging interviews with internal options, A’s executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane and general manager David Forst are expected to also reach outside the organization for candidates to fill Oakland's managerial vacancy. Here’s a look at some potential names:

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Braves third-base coach Ron Washington
Fresh off a World Series title with the Braves, Washington is widely viewed as an ideal manager for the A’s, and it’s not hard to connect the dots. Oakland is where his big league coaching career started in 1996 as a first-base coach under manager Art Howe. From 1997-2006, Washington saw his role switched to third-base/infield coach with the A’s, earning high praise for his help in developing a strong infield defense anchored by six-time Gold Glove Award winner Eric Chavez at third.

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Following eight seasons as manager of the Texas Rangers, Washington returned to the A’s for a second stint as third-base/infield coach from 2015-16 before joining manager Brian Snitker’s coaching staff in Atlanta.

Turning 70 in April, Washington has made it clear he’d like to manage again before calling it a career. With the A’s having one of the two managerial openings in the Majors, the time might be right for "Wash" to come full circle to where it all started.

Braves bench coach Walt Weiss
A fellow coach on Snitker’s staff with the Braves, Weiss is another candidate with A’s ties who is looking to get back into a managerial role. His Oakland roots go back to 1985, when he was a first-round Draft pick by the A’s and won AL Rookie of the Year two years later. The 57-year-old former shortstop is also tied to the last A’s club to win a World Series, playing a starring role in a sweep of the cross-bay Giants in the 1989 Fall Classic.

Weiss’ first shot at managing came with the Rockies. He spent four seasons at the helm in Colorado from 2013-16 and compiled a record of 283-365 before stepping down and later joining the Braves as bench coach in 2017.

Astros bench coach Joe Espada
Though Oakland fans have grown accustomed to viewing Espada as the enemy in recent years, he also is connected to the A’s, selected by them in the second round of the 1996 MLB Draft and spending five seasons in their Minor League system.

Espada, 46, has been lauded for his player development during his time with both the Astros and Yankees, having served as a special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman and later as the club’s third-base coach in a stint with New York from 2013-17.

Brad Ausmus
The A’s know Ausmus well from his time as manager of the Angels in 2019. Before that, he managed the Tigers for four seasons from 2014-17, leading them to a postseason appearance in his first season.

Though he only lasted one season in the role with the Angels after they went 72-90 and replaced him with Joe Maddon, Ausmus has had no shortage of interest. The 52-year-old former catcher has interviewed with the Astros and Padres for their managerial openings over the past two years.

Eric Chavez
No longer affiliated with the Angels’ organization, Chavez was a hot managerial candidate in 2018, when he was considered a strong possibility to succeed Mike Scioscia with the Angels and also interviewed for the job in Texas. Shortly after retiring from playing, he began working as a special assistant to the Yankees’ front office, delving deeper into the analytics side of baseball that was introduced to him as a player for the A’s.

The 43-year-old former third baseman has stated that he’d like to manage, and given his strong relationship with Beane from his time in Oakland, starting out that managerial career here could be ideal.