By Field Level Media
Oct 19 (Field Level Media) - The Athletics hired Taylor Smith as their new president of baseball operations on Monday.
Smith, 31, spent the past two seasons as senior vice president and assistant general manager for the Boston Red Sox after seven years with the Tampa Bay Rays. He will lead the front office for the club's final season in West Sacramento, Calif., and help the team prepare for the move to Las Vegas in 2028.
"I couldn't be more excited about Taylor as our president
of baseball operations," A's owner John Fisher said in a statement. "He is one of the brightest minds in the game today. 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."
The announcement came two months after the team mutually parted ways with general manager David Forst. Forst had been in the role since 2015, with assistant GM Dan Feinstein taking over in an interim capacity for the rest of the season.
"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."
It was not immediately clear whether the A's plan to hire a GM to work under Smith.
The Athletics were 64-98 in 2026, their fifth straight losing season. The team hasn't been to the playoffs since 2020.
(--Field Level Media)
