Phillies’ Sam Fuld Makes His Decision Clear After A’s Come Calling

The A’s search for leadership continues after another high-profile rejection. The Athletics reached out to the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations, Sam Fuld, with a dual-role offer: the president of baseball operations position and the general manager role. They offered him the freedom to reshape a franchise coming off a dismal 64-98 record in 2026. With two seasons as a player in Oakland already part of his baseball journey, the opportunity carried both professional and personal appeal. Yet the A’s $99 million payroll vs. the Phillies’ 4th $291 million payroll may have played a role.

Dave Dombrowski brought Fuld into the front office, elevating him from coaching to executive rank. So, when the A’s came calling with a chance to lead their rebuild, Fuld’s decision to remain alongside Dombrowski offered a powerful reminder that in baseball, loyalty can sometimes outweigh the lure of power.

“Phillies’ Sam Fuld was offered the A’s job as president of baseball operations but declined to take it and has withdrawn from consideration,” SleeperMLB quoted Jeff Passan.

The A’s turmoil has covered both their on-field performance and front office in recent years. In August, the A’s and GM David Forst mutually agreed to part ways, ending his 27-year tenure. Forst had been the head of baseball operations since late 2015, when he succeeded Billy Beane. While Forst was originally expected to pilot the franchise’s multi-year geographic transition, the team’s ongoing struggles forced a change. Assistant GM Dan Feinstein took over as the interim GM for the remainder of the 2026 season. But nothing much improved.

Despite minor improvements in 2025 (76-86), the team took a massive step backward in 2026. They finished with a dismal 64–98 record, the third-worst in all of MLB. Season-ending injuries to Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, and Jacob Wilson exposed organizational depth and pitching gaps that ownership believed required outside leadership.

They are currently playing temporarily in Sacramento before their permanent stadium opens on the Las Vegas Strip by 2028. Ownership’s desperation for outside leadership became clear when the team finished 64-98. Someone like Fuld could construct a brand-new front-office culture and build a competitive roster optimized for their grand unveiling in Las Vegas.

Named General Manager for the Phillies in December 2020, Sam Fuld served as Dombrowski’s top lieutenant. He helped construct the roster that made a historic postseason run in 2022, capturing the National League Pennant and pushing the Houston Astros to six games in the World Series.

During his tenure as GM (2021–2024), Fuld helped lock up core superstars including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler.

So, the A’s had all the reasons to pursue Fuld. However, staying in Philadelphia allows him to build on his executive role with a high-spending, stable contender. The Phillies ranked 4th in 2026 in terms of payroll ($291 million). The A’s ranked 26th ($99 million) in contrast.

Fuld thus chose stability and loyalty over better offerings. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a well-ranked executive declined the A’s offer.

The St. Louis Cardinals assistant GM Rob Cerfolio reached the final stage of the A’s hiring process, alongside Fuld. However, despite being a finalist for the role, Cerfolio reportedly withdrew himself from consideration. He chose to remain with the Cardinals rather than take the job in Sacramento.

The Phillies faced a parallel rejection in their managerial search.

The Phillies’ hunt for a new manager continues

After Rob Thomson was fired early this year, Don Mattingly was placed as the Phillies’ interim manager. Despite pushing the team through the postseason, he was not made permanent. The former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was touted to be the top contender for the job.

Cora was first approached by the Phillies in late April 2026 immediately after the Red Sox fired him. He declined then to spend the summer with his family in Puerto Rico. Following the Phillies’ 2026 Wild Card exit, Dombrowski reached out again. But Cora maintained that he wanted to extend his break through 2027.

Cora is under no financial pressure to rush back into a dugout. He is still owed over $7 million from the Red Sox for the final year of his three-year, $21.75 million contract.

Same as the A’s, Cora’s decision leaves the Phillies in an uncomfortable position. Just as the A’s hunt for a new GM and president of baseball operations continues, the Phillies are no different.

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