Athletics GM Search Just Got More Interesting At A Crucial Time

The Oakland Athletics are navigating a transformative period, as fresh candidates emerge for the GM role amid a challenging offseason.

The Athletics’ search for a new general manager has taken another turn, with former outfielder Sam Fuld now in the mix as the organization prepares for a stretch of major change.

Fuld joins a candidate list that already includes James Click, while Mike Rizzo, the former World Series Champion GM for the Nationals, could also be tied to the opening. The A’s are expected to hire a new GM soon after parting ways with long-time executive David Forst following the draft.

Fuld is a familiar name around the A’s. He played parts of eight big-league seasons with the Rays, Cubs, Twins, and the A’s, spending most of his final two seasons in 2014-2015 in Oakland.

In that stretch, he hit .201 in 477 at-bats. He finished his playing career with a .227 batting average before moving into front-office work.

Since retiring, Fuld has spent more than six years in the Phillies organization and currently serves as the team’s President of Business Operations.

Whoever gets the job will walk into an offseason with plenty to sort through. Luis Severino has an opt-out, so the A’s won’t control whether he returns next year, but that decision could shape other moves they make.

If Severino departs, the club could look at picking up Jeffrey Springs’ club option. The left-hander is owed $15 million, which is a steep price for a starter who struggled, but he was the team’s most productive arm in 2025.

Jeff McNeil is another piece with a costly club option, this one for 2027. He got off to a slow start, but he quickly became one of the team’s better bats and managed to stay healthy all season despite his age.

All of that comes after a 2026 season that never really got off the ground. Injuries wrecked the A’s playoff chances, starting with Brent Rooker and spreading to several other key players, including Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, and Tyler Soderstrom, all of whom suffered season-ending injuries.

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The search has already drawn a familiar mix of candidates, with Sam Fuld, Jared Banner, Matt Kleine and Rob Cerfolio among the names linked to the opening. For an organization trying to turn the page cleanly and build with more direction, the timing matters almost as much as the hire itself, and this one looks like it could come together sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]