Report: A's talking to Chip Hale about 3B coach job

The Oakland Athletics are talking to former Arizona Diamondbacks' skip Chip Hale about the open third-base coach position, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser.

Hale was fired by the D-backs on Oct. 3.

Hale was the A's bench coach from 2012-14 and is a close friend of manager Bob Melvin. The two worked together on the Diamondbacks' coaching staff in 2006, when Melvin was the manager in Arizona.

Slusser reports his high-energy and upbeat coaching style made him popular with Oakland's players during his previous time with the team. He's been considered the top candidate since Ron Washington's departure on Tuesday.