Sam Fuld will stay with the Phillies. (Cheryl Pursell)

Sam Fuld, one of the highest-ranking executives in the Phillies organization, will stay in Philadelphia after turning down a job offer to lead an American League club’s baseball operations, according to a Saturday afternoon report.

Fuld declined the opportunity to become the president of baseball operations for the Athletics, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. He will continue in his current role as the Phillies’ president of business operations.

Sam Fuld was offered the A’s job as president of baseball operations but declined to take it and has withdrawn from consideration, sources tell ESPN. Fuld, who was previously GM of Philadelphia, will remain in his current role as president of business operations for the Phillies.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 10, 2026

A former big-league outfielder — who spent the end of his career with the A’s — Fuld has spent time in the dugout, on the baseball side of the front office and on the business side since the end of his playing days, making him a candidate for several different roles over the years. He joined the Phillies as a player information coordinator under former manager Gabe Kapler prior to the 2018 season. In late 2020, he was named the team’s general manager, effectively the lead assistant to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski after the veteran executive’s hiring.

Following the 2024 season, the Phillies announced major changes to the structure of their front office, as former farm director and assistant general manager Preston Mattingly was named the new GM under Dombrowski. Mattingly temporarily shared the title with Fuld, who would eventually transition to the president of business operations during the 2026 season. With no prior business experience, the team sent Fuld to study at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School; he earned a master’s degree this past May.

“Admittedly, it was not something that I had really given a ton of thought to at the time,” Fuld said in 2024 about his change in roles, “but once I digested it all and wrapped my head around it, it felt like a really compelling opportunity, both professionally and personally, and felt like a great opportunity that I was eager to take on.”

At least for now, Fuld will keep working on the business side for the Phillies instead of taking on another role in baseball operations for the A’s. Philadelphia’s front office seems to be set with Dombrowski, Mattingly and Fuld all in place, but the Phillies still have decisions to make about their coaching staff. Don Mattingly, Preston’s father, served as interim manager for most of the 2026 season after the club fired Rob Thomson in April. The Phillies have not yet announced whether or not Don Mattingly will return as manager in 2027. Whichever path the team chooses could have potential ramifications on the rest of the coaching staff.