Recently, the Athletics parted ways with former General Manager David Forst, and the organization has started its search for a new general manager. Here are three names to know for this open position search that are ongoing and picking up quite a bit of steam as the season winds down.
Candidates for Athletics General Manager Position
1. Mike Rizzo
Rizzo became the full-time vice president and general manager in 2009 for the Washington Nationals after serving as interim. Rizzo built up an eventual World Series roster for the Nationals in 2019. His players included those whom he signed and drafted. Among the draftees were former right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg and current Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper, who were both number one overall picks in back-to-back drafts, becoming the pillars of the Nationals and their success. His former key free-agent signings include both current Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Max Scherzer and left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Rizzo recently interviewed for the job: “Mike Rizzo, the man who built the Washington Nationals into a powerhouse and led them to the 2019 World Series championship, recently had a formal interview with the Athletics for their vacant GM position.“
2. James Click
Click was successful in his tenure as a general manager in the front office with the Houston Astros from 2020 to 2022. Click built a machine that had a lot of thump in the lineup as well with the bullpen. Click was responsible for the six-year, $115 million deal for Yordan Alvarez and signing key relief pitchers for the bullpen, such as Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek. This is the same bullpen that helped left-handed pitcher Cristian Javier complete a six-no-hit innings in 2022 against the Phillies, which eventually, in six games, earned the Astros their next World Series title.
Although Click did not make any moves for the Blue Jays, he works closely with General Manager Ross Atkins. So there does seem to be some influence from Click on that Jays roster, which seemed to be a very balanced team during the World Series run back in 2025.
3. Billy Owens
Owens is currently the assistant general manager and the favorite to be the main guy for the open job. According to Seattle Mariners writer Treymane Petersen of Sports Illustrated, in an article, “He has worked for the A’s since 1999 and has served as assistant GM and director of player personnel since 2015. He knows the organization’s scouting process, he’s familiar with their minor league system and the young players already arriving in the majors.“
Owens appears to have a strong grasp of how to rebuild the team and has an idea of what needs to be fixed within the Athletics organization. Owens’s first tasks, if hired, would be to enhance a 17th-ranked farm system, according to ESPN.
The Athletics would like to have someone in place soon, and the search could be coming to a close. This organization desperately needs a fresh voice with new ideas and a better approach to building a roster that will bring a winning season. The Athletics’ last postseason appearance came in 2020 and ended when they lost to the Astros in four games in the American League Division Series.
A strong hire for the Athletics could take the organization to new heights and have some success that has not been seen in a long time.
Main Image: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
