The Athletics have hired Taylor Smith as president of baseball operations, per a team announcement. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Smith most recently served as an assistant general manager with the Red Sox. It also reported that the A's found their replacement for longtime general manager David Forst after a wide-ranging search. The MLB Trade Rumors summary was cut off after saying the club "moved on from" Forst, so we can't say what it reported about how that change was made. The club's own post, shared on r/baseball, welcomed Smith "to the Green & Gold" and used the title POBO.

ESPN added the timeline. The team is heading into its final year in West Sacramento, California, and moves to Las Vegas in 2028. Smith will have to deal with that transition as well as the roster. The feeds we have don't include contract terms, the length of the deal, or any comment from Smith or ownership. Only MLB Trade Rumors names the Red Sox role and the search, and only ESPN gives the Las Vegas date.

The roster Smith inherits finished 64-98, fourth in the AL West and 17 games behind first-place Houston, based on standings through Sept. 27. Their run differential was minus-238. That is the worst in the American League by a wide margin. The next worst AL mark was Kansas City's minus-120. Only Colorado, at minus-192, was close among National League clubs, and the A's were still 46 runs worse. The Angels, at 62-100, were the only AL West team with a worse record.

The finish was bad too. Houston beat the A's 13-2 on Sept. 26 and 9-0 on Sept. 27, after Oakland won the series opener 6-5 on Sept. 25. Those two losses cost them 22 runs in two days. They ended on a two-game losing streak.

The next step is Smith's first moves, which none of the five outlets has addressed. The sources don't say who will manage or what happens to the current staff. Smith also hasn't said how he will approach the roster. The next reporting to watch is any word on the front-office structure under him and the club's plans for the final West Sacramento season.