The Oakland Athletics named Taylor Smith president of baseball operations, giving the 41-year-old former Mariners assistant general manager full authority over roster construction as the franchise builds toward its $1.5 billion Las Vegas stadium opening in 2028. Smith reports to general partner John Fisher and sits above GM Billy Beane's successor David Forst in the org chart—a structure reversal that signals Fisher's willingness to delegate baseball decisions after two decades of meddling.
Smith spent seven years in Seattle's front office, most recently as assistant GM under Jerry Dipoto. He ran the Mariners' pro scouting department and oversaw their trade deadline activity in 2022 and 2023, when Seattle acquired Luis Castillo, Teoscar Hernández, and Paul DeJong in separate windows. Before Seattle, Smith worked in the Rays' analytics group under Andrew Friedman and built Tampa Bay's early-innings pitching deployment models. He has no Oakland ties, no Bay Area history, and no particular reason to care about the franchise's Sacramento detour before Las Vegas.
The timing matters for three reasons. First, the Athletics are currently rostering a $63 million payroll in Sacramento's Sutter Health Park, down from $105 million in their final Oakland season. Smith inherits a roster with $41 million coming off the books after 2025, giving him genuine flexibility to add major league talent before the Las Vegas opening. Second, the stadium construction timeline creates a natural rebuild window—Smith can lose 95 games in Sacramento without consequence, then field a competent product when the Las Vegas gates open. Third, Fisher's recent sale of his 49 percent stake in the San Jose Earthquakes for $180 million to Joe Mansueto freed capital that ownership previously claimed was unavailable. Smith's hiring suggests Fisher intends to deploy some portion of that liquidity into the baseball operation, though nothing in Fisher's 18-year ownership tenure supports that optimism.
The hire also clarifies the franchise's institutional direction after Billy Beane's November exit. Beane left to join Fenway Sports Group as a senior advisor, ending his 30-year Oakland tenure and removing the last executive with organizational memory of the franchise's competitive windows. Forst, who stayed as GM, now reports to Smith—a demotion in everything but title. Forst's contract runs through 2026, which means Smith likely replaces him before the Vegas opening. Forst's phone has been ringing; two National League clubs have already asked permission to interview him for GM vacancies, according to two people with direct knowledge.
The Vegas stadium project itself remains 78 percent complete, per Clark County construction filings. The roof structure is finished, the playing surface irrigation system is installed, and the exterior glass curtain wall is 61 percent mounted. Completion is scheduled for February 2028, giving Smith three full minor league draft classes and two trade deadlines to build a roster. The Athletics currently rank 28th in MLB's farm system rankings per Baseball America, with no consensus top-100 prospects. Smith's first test is the 2025 draft, where Oakland holds the No. 11 overall pick and $6.2 million in bonus pool money.
Smith's contract is four years with a club option for 2029, per a person familiar with the terms. His base salary is $2.1 million, which ranks 19th among baseball operations presidents. Seattle offered Smith its GM job after Jerry Dipoto's expected departure in late 2024, but Dipoto stayed, and Smith took the Oakland offer instead. Worth noting: Smith's agent is Jeff Frye, who also represents Chaim Bloom and Carter Hawkins—two executives who rebuilt farm systems before turning over competitive rosters to successors.
The Athletics open their 2025 Sacramento season April 3 against the Angels. Smith's first trade deadline is 118 days away. His first major decision is whether to extend pitcher Mason Miller, who throws 103 mph and is arbitration-eligible through 2028. Miller is the only Oakland player with trade value above $15 million, and Smith will get calls.
The takeaway
Smith inherits $41M in expiring contracts, a bottom-five farm system, and three years to build a competitive roster before the Vegas gates open.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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