Elephant Rumblings: GM List Grows With Four New Candidates

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) General manager Sam Fuld, Trea Turner # 7, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski of the Philadelphia Phillies speak to the media during their press conference at Citizens Bank Park on December 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitch

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What is the story about?

Good morning everyone!

The A’s are still on the search for their new GM 10 days into the offseason. We’ve heard of several candidates, mostly outside options but one internal candidate. Based off that alone one would assume that the next voice of the Athletics’ front office will be someone coming from a different organization, new name for fans to get to know.

Well we can add four new names to the list, including a former player that previous suited up in the Green & Gold. Sam Fuld, who played for the A’s

from mid-2014 through 2015 to wrap up his playing career, is under consideration and a strong candidate to get the job. He’s been in the Phillies’ front office for most of the past decade. During that time he was the Philadelphia General Manager, although really second-in-command under President Dave Dombrowski. Getting the A’s job would be a lateral move in terms of title, but he’d be in full control of the team instead of reporting to someone higher up on the totem pole than him. Fuld has received interviews for other GM openings around the league before but this could finally be the time he’s offered the chance to lead a team.

Fuld wasn’t the only name reported today. In that same report linking Fuld to the A’s, Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner was also named as a strong contender for the job. Banner has been with Chicago for the past six years after starting his career with the Red Sox with a stop in the Mets’ organization along the way. Banner has experience in the player development department, which is where he spent the early parts of his career. He’s supposedly one of the biggest reasons the Cubs targeted star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in trade talks with the Mets when they traded Javier Baez to New York. That’d indicate he knows a good ball player when he sees one.

Along with Fuld and Banner, there were two more names linked to the Athletics’ GM opening today. St. Louis assistant GM Rob Cerfolio has reportedly already interviewed for the job. Cerfolio spent the better part of a decade working in the Cleveland front office before joining the Cardinals as AGM in 2024, so he’s been with them during the entirety of their current rebuild. While he’d be an interesting candidate, he’s also a candidate to remain in place and get the GM gig for St. Louis, reporting only to President Chaim Bloom. That’s the expectation.

The fourth name added to the list of potential GM’s for the A’s was Brewers AGM Matt Klein. He’s been with the Brewers for his entire career, starting in 2007. He steadily rose the ranks from the scouting department to the AGM position in 2023, being Brewers President Matt Arnold’s #2 guy. Klein is a popular name for GM openings and he’s also reportedly under consideration for the Astros’ GM opening.

Fuld, Banner, Cerfolio and Klein join a list that already includes Billy Owens, Mike Rizzo, James Click, Mike Groopman and Taylor Smith. There’s likely at least one name, likely more, that hasn’t been reported yet but if one had to guess it’s likely going to be one of these guys to be the next leader of the Athletics as they head into their new home in Las Vegas.

It seems that the search is drawing to a close. Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report that the team is close to picking their guy, with the decision apparently coming before the end of the week. That’d give the new guy a chance to settle in and get to fill out the rest of his staff before the end of the playoffs and start of the offseason. There’ll be some major decisions the new GM will have to make, including whether or not he wants to retain manager Mark Kotsay. For what it’s worth Kotsay is signed through 2028 so financial obligations shouldn’t have a huge impact on that choice.

So who do you guys want the A’s to pick? Do you want the new GM to keep Kotsay? Discuss below!

Have a great Thursday A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

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