Athletics' GM search reportedly narrows with Taylor Smith as frontrunner

The Athletics' search for a new general manager has reportedly found a frontrunner: Taylor Smith, currently the assistant GM of the Boston Red Sox, has emerged as the leading candidate for the open front office role, per MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk.

What happened

Per Polishuk's reporting, Smith appears to be the new frontrunner for the Athletics' GM vacancy based on recent reports — though the piece is careful to note that nothing has been finalized. The search has been ongoing since August 7, when the club parted ways with David Forst, giving the organization what Polishuk describes as plenty of time to evaluate candidates.

The path to Smith reportedly ran through a detour: Sam Fuld, the Phillies' president of business operations, turned down an offer from the Athletics before the club's attention shifted. Polishuk also notes that the league generally prefers teams to wait until the postseason concludes before completing front office hires of this nature, which may be shaping the timeline.

The Athletics' GM search had already drawn attention in the October 10 edition of The Opener, where Polishuk flagged the vacancy as a developing storyline. Eight days later, per his latest reporting, the position remains unfilled — though the field appears to have narrowed.

Why it matters

A major league franchise without a permanent general manager is a bit like managing a bullpen without a closer: theoretically workable, occasionally chaotic, and something everyone agrees should be resolved before it becomes a structural problem. The Athletics have been in that state since August 7, a stretch that now spans more than two months.

The GM role carries obvious weight for any organization, but it carries particular weight for one in the Athletics' current position. The club finished 64-98 (.395) this season, sitting 4th in the AL West and 17 games back in the division. They were eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, and enter the offseason on a two-game losing streak. Whoever takes the GM chair will inherit a roster that needs significant construction and a franchise still establishing itself in its new market.

The hire, whenever it comes, will set the philosophical direction for how the Athletics approach that rebuild — which players they prioritize, which prospects they protect, and how aggressively they pursue roster moves. That makes the identity of the incoming GM one of the more consequential decisions the organization will make this offseason.

The numbers

The Athletics finished at 64-98 (.395), placing 4th in the AL West, 17 games back of the division leader. In the Wild Card standings, they ranked 11th, 20.0 games relative to the cut line. The season is over; the front office work is just beginning.

Where the club stands

At 64-98 (.395), the Athletics closed the regular season in 4th place in the AL West, 17 games out of first. They were eliminated from both the division and Wild Card races, and carry a two-game losing streak into the offseason. The upcoming schedule is now an offseason agenda rather than a game slate — and the GM search sits at the top of it.

Is Taylor Smith the hire?

Not yet, per the reporting. Polishuk describes Smith as appearing to be the "new frontrunner" based on recent reports, but stops well short of characterizing this as a completed process. The league's general preference for teams to wait until the postseason ends before completing front office hires adds another layer of uncertainty to the timing. Smith has not been announced, and the Athletics have not made any public statement about the search, per the material available.

What we don't know yet

It is not known whether Smith has been formally offered the position, whether he has accepted any offer, or when the Athletics intend to make an announcement. The league's postseason preference on timing means the calendar itself may be a factor. It also remains unclear what other candidates, if any, are still under consideration — the reporting identifies Smith as the apparent frontrunner, not the only name in play.

The Fuld detour is worth noting as a reminder that frontrunner status and a completed hire are different things. Fuld was reportedly offered the role and declined, which means the Athletics have already navigated at least one unexpected turn in this process. The search that the desk covered as an open question a week ago remains, technically, an open question today.

What to watch

The postseason is still underway — the ALCS is currently in progress — and the league's general preference is for front office moves of this magnitude to wait until the bracket clears. That makes the days immediately following the conclusion of the postseason a natural window to watch for movement on the Athletics' search.

If Smith is indeed the choice, the next question becomes what his arrival signals about the organization's direction: his background with the Red Sox, his relationships around the league, and his approach to roster construction will all become relevant the moment he steps into the role. For now, the desk watches and waits, alongside the rest of the AL West.

One small footnote from Polishuk's column, offered in the spirit of the season: the piece opens with a birthday note for Bobby Knoop, the former Angels infielder and longtime coach who turns 88 today. Knoop spent six of his nine MLB seasons with the Angels and went on to spend 18 more seasons on the Angels' coaching staff. Polishuk notes that Knoop once tossed a couple of baseballs to a pair of young fans — including Polishuk's brother and Polishuk himself — before an Angels-Blue Jays game in Toronto in 1991. It is, as Polishuk puts it, a special place in his baseball memory bank. Happy birthday, Bobby Knoop.