The Athletics’ search for a new general manager is moving fast, and two more names have surfaced: Phillies executive Sam Fuld and Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner.
According to Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, both are in the mix for the job, and the vacancy is expected to be filled this week.
Oakland opened the search after firing David Forst in early August. Forst had been with the organization since 2000. Assistant general manager Dan Feinstein stepped in as interim GM for the rest of the season.
Since Forst’s exit, the A’s have been linked to a wide range of candidates. Former Astros GM James Click was under consideration, recent Nationals POBO Mike Rizzo got an interview, and Red Sox assistant GMs Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith also interviewed. The only internal name to emerge in the process has been assistant GM Billy Owens.
Fuld brings a direct connection to the organization. The former big leaguer spent eight seasons in MLB and finished his playing career in Oakland.
He joined the Phillies in 2017 as major league player information coordinator, climbed to the GM job before the 2021 season, and worked under POBO Dave Dombrowski through 2024. Fuld then stepped away to earn his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School before returning to a business operations role with the Phillies this year.
Dombrowski is signed through 2027 and is expected to stay beyond that deal. For Fuld, landing the A’s job would mean becoming the lead decision-maker for the first time.
Banner’s path has been different, but just as steady. He spent years in player development with the Red Sox and Mets before joining the Cubs in 2020. He was elevated to assistant GM after the 2023 season.
Mooney and Rosenthal also note that Banner was instrumental in bringing Pete Crow-Armstrong to Chicago. He pushed for the move after working with Crow-Armstrong’s development in the Mets system. The Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong from the Mets at the 2021 trade deadline, sending Javier Báez and Trevor Williams to New York.
The A’s are trying to turn the page after six straight missed postseasons. They have finished fourth or worse in the AL West in each of the past five years.
The lineup has real promise, led by Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom, but the pitching staff has struggled in recent seasons, especially after the move to hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. The club has one more season in Sacramento before its relocation to Las Vegas.
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