The Athletics hired Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations on Monday, announcing the move to lead the club’s baseball department two months after deciding not to bring back former general manager David Forst. Smith, 31, arrives from the Boston Red Sox, where he spent the past two seasons as assistant general manager.
Smith takes over a franchise coming off a 64-98 season, its fifth straight with a losing record. The Athletics played their second year at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California, in 2026 and will play one more season there before relocating to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Terms Of Smith’s Hire
The Athletics have not announced a contract length or financial terms for Smith’s deal. His title, president of baseball operations, places him atop the club’s baseball department, with the organization yet to clarify whether it plans to hire a general manager to work under him, according to MLB.com. It also remains unclear whether assistant general managers Billy Owens and Rob Naberhaus will stay with the organization.
Assistant general manager Dan Feinstein served as interim GM after Forst’s departure in August and finished out the season in that capacity, but he was not among the candidates for the permanent job, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Why The Athletics Made The Move
Forst had been with the Athletics since 2000 and served as general manager since 2015, when he succeeded Billy Beane, who remains with the club as a senior advisor. The Athletics made the playoffs every year from 2018 through 2020 but have not returned since, finishing fourth or fifth in the AL West in each of the past five seasons.
Owner John Fisher said the club ran an extensive search before settling on Smith. “We conducted a very thorough search for our new baseball leadership, and Taylor stood out for his acute understanding of the game, especially in the areas of measuring player performance and player development,” Fisher said. The search reportedly included Phillies executive Sam Fuld, Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner, former Astros GM James Click, former Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo, Boston AGM Mike Groopman, Cardinals assistant GM Rob Cerfolio and Owens, according to MLB Trade Rumors and MLB.com.
Beane also weighed in on the hire. “He is a smart, creative baseball mind with the leadership skills to build a cutting-edge, winning organization that our fans can be proud of for years to come,” Beane said. “I couldn’t be more excited about the A’s future.”
Smith’s Background And Path To The Job
Smith is a native of Woodstock, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia with joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics along with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He spent seven years with the Tampa Bay Rays, starting on their research and development team and rising to director of predictive modeling. He joined the Red Sox at the end of the 2024 season in an analytics-focused role overseeing the organization’s baseball research and development, including analytics, sciences, systems and technology, before Boston promoted him to assistant general manager.
Smith referenced the Athletics’ analytical history in his own statement. “The Athletics changed the way baseball thinks about building a team, and their pioneering work during the Moneyball era opened the door to my own career in the game,” Smith said. “It’s an honor to build on that legacy as we work to create the next great A’s team, build on our foundation for sustained success and prepare for our new home in Las Vegas.”
The Roster Smith Inherits
Smith will take over a core that includes Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and Henry Bolte. Injuries shaped the 2026 season, with Kurtz, Rooker, Soderstrom and Langeliers all missing significant time, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
What’s Next
The Athletics have not set a timeline for filling out the rest of the front office, including whether a general manager will be hired to work alongside Smith.
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