Athletics has a new senior leader. Taylor Smith takes over as president of baseball operations, according to a team announcement. Smith most recently served as assistant general manager for the Red Sox.
After much searching, the A’s have found a replacement for longtime general manager David Forst. The club left Forst in August. Phillies Executive Sam Fuld and Cubs assistant general manager Jared Banner were in the running for the role. Fuld ended up staying in Philadelphia, while Banner just accepted the Orioles general manager job. The A’s were also linked to former Astros general manager James Click and former Nationals POBO Mike Rizzo. Smith’s colleague, Boston AGM member Mike Groopman, also received an interview.
Smith, 31, emerged as the favorite for the gig late last week. Cardinals assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio was also one of the finalists. A’s assistant general manager Dan Feinstein finished the season in place of Forst, but was not among the candidates for the full-time position.
“I couldn’t be more excited about Taylor as President of Baseball Operations.” owner John Fisher said in a statement, relayed by Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. “He is one of the most brilliant minds in football today. We conducted a very thorough search for our new baseball leadership, and Taylor stood out with his deep understanding of the game, particularly in the areas of performance measurement and player development..”
Boston hired Smith at the end of the 2024 season. He filled an analytics-focused role alongside three other AGAs. Smith began his career with the Rays. He spent seven years with the organization. He first joined the research and development team, then worked his way up to Director of Predictive Modeling at the end of his tenure.
Forst had been with the A’s since 2000. He succeeded Billy Beane as general manager in 2015. The team was a playoff regular throughout the 2010s, but failed to advance past the ALDS. The A’s made the playoffs every season from 2018 to 2020. They haven’t been back since.
The A’s have finished fourth or fifth in the AL West in each of the last five seasons. The club has lost 98 games in 2026. Injuries have been a major factor this season, with key players Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler SoderstromAnd Shea Langeliers They are all missing a lot of time.
Smith will have a solid core to work with as he attempts to lead the team back to the playoffs. Soderstrom and Rooker signed long-term deals, as did Jacob Wilson And Laurent Butler. Langeliers has just gone through arbitration for the first time. Kurtz won’t enter the process for another season. The A’s will play in Sacramento for another year. They will move on to their new digs in Las Vegas for the 2028 campaign.
Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
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