A’s new baseball ops president Smith ‘so excited to build on’ young core

Taylor Smith was officially introduced as the Athletics' new president of baseball operations on Wednesday at the A's Experience Center in Las Vegas. At 31 years old, Smith becomes the youngest head of baseball operations in Major League Baseball. The hire marks a major leadership transition for the franchise under owner John Fisher following the August departure of former general manager David Forst.

Smith expressed enthusiasm for developing the team's promising core, specifically highlighting position players Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Shea Langeliers. Smith also addressed the pitching staff, praising Jacob Lopez, Jack Perkins, Gage Jump, and veteran Luis Severino, while signaling strong alignment with manager Mark Kotsay.