David Forst is no longer the Athletics’ longtime general manager, bringing an end to his lengthy tenure with the organization.
The Athletics announced Friday that the two sides had “mutually” agreed to part ways. However, league sources who spoke anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the situation described the move as a firing.
With Forst out, assistant general manager Dan Feinstein will take over as the club’s interim general manager.
“David has been an integral part of the A’s and our success for nearly three decades,” owner John Fisher said in a statement released by the team. “His leadership, dedication, and commitment to this team have helped shape our baseball operations department and position us for the future. We are grateful for everything David has done for our organization.”
Forst had been with the organization since 2000, but his contract was scheduled to expire at the conclusion of the season. Earlier this spring, he remained uncertain about his future with the franchise as the Athletics prepare for their planned relocation to Las Vegas ahead of the 2028 season.
The move to Las Vegas is expected to require members of the Athletics’ front office to relocate as well. Forst and his family, however, had established themselves comfortably in the Bay Area, adding another layer of uncertainty to his long-term future with the organization.
Fisher said in March that discussions about Forst’s future had been ongoing since the previous year and were still continuing. He also praised Forst and the rest of the front office, including Billy Owens, Dan Feinstein and Rob Naberhaus, for the job they had done with the organization.
Forst first joined the Athletics as a scout in 2000 before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2004. He quickly established himself as one of then-GM Billy Beane’s most trusted members of the front office. Following the 2015 season, Beane moved into an executive vice president role, paving the way for Forst to become the team’s general manager. Forst remained in that position even after Beane later transitioned into a senior advisory role.
During Forst’s tenure as GM, the Athletics reached the postseason three consecutive times from 2018 through 2020. However, the organization’s fortunes began to decline during the second half of the 2021 season. After missing the playoffs that year, Oakland entered a major rebuilding phase and traded away several of its top players before the 2022 season, including Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea and Chris Bassitt. Sean Murphy was dealt the following offseason.
The Athletics struggled significantly during the rebuild. In 2022, they suffered 100 losses for the first time since 1979 before setting an Oakland-era franchise record with 112 losses in 2023. The team showed modest improvement with 93 losses in 2024 and 86 losses last season, its first campaign in West Sacramento. After getting off to a respectable start this season, however, the Athletics have experienced a major downturn. They entered their series against the Boston Red Sox at 45-70 and had won only five games since June 26 while dealing with a long list of injuries.
“It was truly an honor to spend the last 27 years with the A’s, especially the last 11 as the GM,” Forst said in a statement released by the team. “This organization is full of incredibly talented, devoted, and good people, and I am lucky to have worked alongside them for so long.”
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