On Monday, the Athletics became the latest team to promote their general manager to a higher position. The team announced GM Billy Beane has been promoted to president of baseball operations, with longtime assistant GM David Forst taking over as GM.
"Billy Beane and David Forst have continually proven themselves to be two of the best baseball minds in the game today," said owner Lew Wolff in a statement. "The team remains in great hands. We're very fortunate to have not one but two executives of their caliber."
Beane, 53, was one of the longest-tenured GMs in baseball. He took over the A's back in 1998 and built six division winners and eight postseason teams on a shoestring budget. Oakland had a miserable 2015 season, going 68-94. It was only the sixth time they had a losing record under Beane.
Forst has been with the Athletics since 1999, including the last 12 years as assistant GM. He has been Beane's right hand man for more than a decade. Forst has long been considered a GM candidate, and it turns out he didn't even need to join a new team for the opportunity.
