Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Athletics hire Taylor Smith to lead baseball operations through 2028 transition
The 31-year-old former Red Sox assistant GM brings an analytics-heavy background to a club facing a 2027 season in West Sacramento and a planned Las Vegas move in 2028.
The Athletics hired Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations on October 19, putting the 31-year-old former Boston Red Sox executive in charge of baseball strategy and the front office. Reuters and MLB’s team report independently confirm the appointment and his new mandate.
Smith arrives after seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and two with Boston, where he oversaw baseball research and development. His first challenge is immediate: reshape a 64-98 club while helping prepare the organization for its planned 2028 move to Las Vegas.
What the Athletics changed
The Athletics created a new top baseball-operations role for Taylor Smith after parting ways with longtime general manager David Forst in August. Smith now leads roster strategy, player evaluation, development and the broader baseball department.
Why Smith’s analytics background matters
Smith spent seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays before joining Boston in 2024. MLB’s report says he oversaw Red Sox research and development across analytics, science, systems and technology, while coordinating that work with player acquisition and development groups.
The appointment spans two phases of the franchise
Smith takes charge for the club’s final planned season in West Sacramento and is also expected to help prepare for the planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. That makes the job both an immediate baseball turnaround assignment and a longer organizational build.
What remains unresolved
The Athletics have not said whether they will hire a general manager under Smith. Reuters and MLB both reported that the structure below the new president remains unclear, so current interim and assistant roles should not be treated as settled.
The competitive baseline
The Athletics finished 64-98 in 2026, their fifth consecutive losing season, and have not reached the postseason since 2020. The appointment changes leadership, but it does not itself answer the roster, pitching and development questions the new front office must address.
