The Athletics’ search for a new front office leader is taking shape, and two names now sitting on the radar are Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine and Cardinals assistant general manager Rob Cerfolio.
According to Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Kleine is among the candidates being considered, though the report does not say whether he has interviewed for the job. Cerfolio, meanwhile, has already interviewed with the A’s, but the expectation is that he will remain with St.
Louis. The Athletic report says he is more likely to be elevated to general manager with the Cardinals, working under president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
Kleine has spent a long stretch in Milwaukee. He joined the Brewers’ scouting department in 2007 and was promoted to assistant general manager in November of 2023, working under president of baseball operations Matt Arnold.
That Brewers résumé carries weight. Milwaukee has built a reputation as one of the sport’s sharpest organizations, winning consistently while operating with low payrolls.
The club has reached the postseason in eight of the past nine seasons and finished with the best record in the majors in 2026. Kleine has already been linked to the Astros’ front office search, and now the A’s are apparently in the mix as well.
Cerfolio’s path is similar in that he’s been on the rise for years. He spent nearly a decade with the Guardians beginning in 2015 before the Cardinals hired him as assistant general manager in October of 2024.
At the time, John Mozeliak was still running baseball operations in St. Louis, though it had already been announced publicly that Bloom would take over after the 2025 season.
St. Louis has been in a rebuild since Cerfolio arrived, finishing just under .500 in each of the past two seasons. Last month, Bloom described the Cardinals as “status quo” when asked about the general manager opening, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.
For the A’s, the vacancy opened when they fired GM David Forst in August. Dan Feinstein is handling the role on an interim basis while the club continues its search.
Other names tied to the process include James Click, Mike Rizzo, Mike Groopman, Taylor Smith, Billy Owens Sam Fuld and Jared Banner. Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reported that former Twins POBO Derek Falvey turned down an interview before taking a job with the Mets last month.
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