The list of known candidates for the Athletics’ general manager opening added two more names this morning. Phillies executive Sam Fuld and Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner are in the mix for the job, per Patrick Mooney and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The reporters add that the vacancy is expected to be filled this week.
The A’s fired general manager David Forst in early August. He’d been with the organization since 2000. Assistant general manager Dan Feinstein was elevated to interim GM for the rest of the season.
In the weeks that followed Forst’s departure, the club has been connected to several current and former executives for the opening. Former Astros GM James Click was under consideration. Recent Nationals POBO Mike Rizzo received an interview, as did Red Sox assistant GMs Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith. The lone internal candidate to surface during the interview process is assistant GM Billy Owens.
Fuld has ties to the organization. The eight-year MLB vet wrapped up his playing career in Oakland. After hanging up his spikes, Fuld took on a role with the Phillies as major league player information coordinator in 2017. He ascended to the general manager job heading into the 2021 season. Fuld operated under POBO Dave Dombrowski through the 2024 campaign. He left the position to get his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, then returned to a business operations role with the Phillies this year.
Dombrowski is signed through 2027. He’s expected to remain with the Phillies beyond his current deal. Getting the top gig with the A’s would give Fuld a chance to be the lead decision-maker for the first time.
Banner spent several years in a player development role with the Red Sox and Mets before joining the Cubs organization in 2020. He was promoted to assistant GM at the end of the 2023 season.
As Mooney and Rosenthal note, Banner played a major role in bringing outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to Chicago. He advocated for the acquisition after overseeing PCA’s development in the Mets organization. The Cubs sent shortstop Javier Báez and right-hander Trevor Williams to the Mets for Crow-Armstrong at the 2021 trade deadline.
The A’s have missed the playoffs in six straight seasons. The club has finished fourth or worse in the AL West in each of the past five years. The roster boasts plenty of hitting talent, headlined by Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Tyler Soderstrom. The rotation and bullpen have struggled in recent years, particularly after the move to hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. The A’s have one more season in Sacramento before heading to Las Vegas.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images