Sam Fuld (right of Dave Dombrowski) is the Phillies’ president of business operations. (Grace Del Pizzo/Phillies Nation)
In need of a new head of baseball operations, the Athletics have identified Phillies president of business operations Sam Fuld as a top target, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
Fuld, 44, became the head of business operations for the Phillies after graduating with an MBA from the Wharton School in May. He stepped away from a full-time role in the front office in 2024 to focus on his studies.
Previously, Fuld worked on the baseball side as the general manager of the team under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski from 2021 to 2024. Fuld began his career with the Phillies in 2018 in the dugout as a player information coordinator. Then Phillies GM Matt Klentak offered the former outfielder a minor league contract with an invite to spring training prior to the 2017 season.
Fuld played for the Oakland Athletics in his final two seasons as a big leaguer in 2014 and 2015. The A’s, after firing longtime GM David Forst shortly after the trade deadline, are reportedly looking to hire a new head of baseball operations within the next week.
Other candidates for the Athletics job, per Rosenthal, include Chicago Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner and Boston Red Sox assistant GMs Matt Kleine and Taylor Smith. The A’s plan on moving from Sacremento to a new ballpark in Las Vegas by 2028.
It’s unclear if Fuld has interest in leaving the Phillies for the A’s. He has been coveted by other teams for years as an executive and potential manager. He interviewed for the Blue Jays’ managerial opening in 2018. He finished as a finalist for the Red Sox job in 2020. Boston re-hired Alex Cora after his one-year suspension for the Houston Astros 2017 sign stealing scandal was up.
Fuld is an integral part of the Phillies’ present and future. He along with Dombrowski are the organization’s top executives. Dombrowski, as previously reported by The Athletic, is expected to sign an extension that will keep him in Philadelphia as the club’s head of baseball operations for the foreseeable future. His current deal expires at the end of the 2027 season.
If Fuld stays in Philadelphia, he could take over as team president and preside over both the baseball and business side after Dombrowski’s retirement.
If Fuld is seeking a quicker path to getting back into baseball operations, he could take the A’s job. Or the threat of the A’s hiring Fuld could force the Phillies to implement their front office succession plan sooner than they’d like.
