Taylor Smith introduced as Athletics president of baseball operations

What happened

Taylor Smith has been introduced as the Athletics' new president of baseball operations, MLB.com's Martín Gallegos reported, formalizing a leadership change at the top of the organization's baseball decision-making structure. Smith described himself as "so excited to build on" the young core currently assembled in the organization — an expression of enthusiasm that, given the 64-98 record he is inheriting, suggests either genuine optimism or a very high tolerance for a project.

Why it matters

Organizational architecture matters in baseball the way bullpen construction matters: the wrong structure at the top tends to make everything downstream harder to fix. Smith's arrival represents a reset of baseball leadership at a moment when the Athletics are deep in a rebuild, carrying a 64-98 record and sitting fourth in the AL West. The person running baseball operations sets the philosophy that governs drafting, development, trades, and free-agent targeting — the entire pipeline that a young core depends on to become something more than a promising collection of names.

The timing is worth noting. Per reporting from five days ago, the Athletics hired Smith as president of baseball operations and are considering adding a general manager beneath him, which would create a two-layer structure at the top of the baseball operations group. That kind of arrangement — a president of baseball operations overseeing a GM — has become increasingly common across the league, separating long-range organizational strategy from the transactional work of roster management. Whether the Athletics ultimately fill that GM role, and who they might target, remains unresolved.

What is resolved, per that same earlier reporting: manager Mark Kotsay is secure through 2028. That continuity on the field matters when a new voice arrives at the top of the organization. Kotsay will be the one translating whatever organizational philosophy Smith installs into actual lineup cards and pitching decisions, and knowing his position is not in question gives the dugout a stable floor while the baseball operations group finds its footing.

The numbers

The canvas Smith is inheriting is not a flattering one, at least not by the standings. The Athletics finished the season 64-98 (.395), fourth in the AL West and 17 games back of the division lead. They ranked 11th in the Wild Card race, 20.0 games relative to the cut line, and were eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race. The team closed on a two-game losing streak.

Those numbers are the honest accounting of where the organization sits. They are also, in a certain light, the argument for why this hire exists: a 64-98 club with a young core is precisely the kind of situation that calls for a clear-eyed rebuilding mandate rather than a patchwork approach. Smith arrives with the standings already telling the story plainly, which at least removes any ambiguity about the scale of the project.

Where the club stands

The Athletics ended the 2026 season at 64-98, fourth in the AL West, 17 games behind the division leader. Their Wild Card positioning — 11th, 20.0 games from the cut line — reflects a team that was not in the postseason conversation at any meaningful point down the stretch. The two-game losing streak at the close is a footnote; the broader record is the context Smith steps into.

The offseason now becomes the first real test of what the new baseball operations structure looks like in practice. With the season over, the work shifts entirely to roster construction: evaluating the young core, determining which pieces around it need to be added or subtracted, and deciding how aggressively to pursue upgrades in free agency or via trade. The potential GM hire adds another variable — the organizational chart itself is still being drawn.

What we don't know yet

The most immediate open question is whether the Athletics will hire a general manager to work beneath Smith, and if so, who. Per the earlier reporting, the club is considering that structure, but no hire has been announced. Until that role is filled — or definitively left vacant — the full shape of the baseball operations group remains unclear.

Beyond the org chart, the substance of Smith's approach to the rebuild is still largely unknown. His introduction, as reported by Martín Gallegos for MLB.com, centered on enthusiasm for the young core already in place, but the specific priorities — which positions the club targets this winter, how aggressively they pursue free agents versus internal development, what the trade philosophy looks like — have not been detailed publicly.

What to watch

The GM search, or the decision not to conduct one, is the most immediate thing to monitor. If the Athletics move quickly to fill that role, it will signal something about how Smith wants to structure his operation and how much of the transactional work he intends to delegate. If the position stays open deep into the winter, that tells a different story about how the baseball operations group will function in practice.

Beyond the org chart, watch for early signals about offseason direction. The young core Smith referenced is the foundation; what gets built around it this winter will be the first tangible expression of his baseball philosophy. With Kotsay locked in through 2028, the field side is stable — the baseball operations side is where the action will be between now and spring training.

A 64-98 record is a starting point, not a verdict. The calendar, at least, is now on the organization's side.