As the Athletics' new president of baseball operations, Taylor Smith — at 31, the youngest person to hold that position in Major League Baseball — is being entrusted with putting a championship-caliber team on the field when the A's open a $2.1 billion, 33,000-fan capacity stadium on the Strip in April 2028.

"[Las Vegas] seems like a very strong market that's very hungry for teams," Smith told The Nevada Independent on Wednesday following his introduction by team owner John Fisher at a press conference at the A's Experience Center in the UnCommons.

"We're doing our due diligence, trying to figure out what are the best ways to make the roster better," Smith of the team that hasn't had a winning season since 2021 and will be playing its third and final year in 2027 at a Triple-A, 14,000-seat stadium in Sacramento.

"Our goal is to be competitive, not just by 2028, but for a sustainable future," Smith said.

He spent the last two seasons as the Boston Red Sox's assistant general manager and the seven previous seasons in the front office of the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays. During his last two years with the Red Sox, he oversaw the team's baseball research and development efforts. 

He adheres to an analytics-based approach in putting a competitive baseball club on the diamond. The concept was created 25 years ago by former A's General Manager Billy Beane. The process became the basis of Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, a best-selling book by Michael Lewis and the basis of a movie starring Brad Pitt. 

"I had several interviews with Billy during the process," Smith said. "Right after I got the job, I called him and he congratulated me. We had a good conversation."

Looming over Smith's plans to bounce between Las Vegas and the A's final season in Sacramento next year is a potential lockout of the players due to a dispute over baseball's collective bargaining agreement. 

The lockout could begin shortly after the World Series between Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, which opens this weekend.

"It's just business as usual right now," he said.

Smith's plan is to relocate to Las Vegas "as quickly as possible" to learn more about the community and the organization, which has set up offices in the Black Fire Research Institute. 

He's already spoken with A's Manager Mark Kotsay, who attended the announcement. Kotsay, who is signed through the 2028 season, said a private dinner with Smith was on the agenda. 

Smith said talking with players, who serve "as an invaluable source of information," is the next step. "That's who this whole thing is about. We want to put them in the best situations possible."

The A's, who finished the 2026 season at 64-98 and in fourth place in the American League West, have four key players signed to long-term contract extensions — outfielders Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler, designated hitter Brent Rooker and infielder Jacob Wilson. All are expected to be in the lineup when the A's arrive in 2028. 

Smith wouldn't comment directly on negotiating new agreements with key players, including first baseman Nick Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers, both of whom missed significant time last season due to injuries.

Langeliers is one of the top catchers in baseball, and his start in Las Vegas in 2021 helped him connect with fans early. Kurtz is already a fan favorite in Southern Nevada after his 20-day stint with the Las Vegas Aviators — the A's Triple-A team — where he hit monstrous home runs at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Fisher said he hopes a lockout can be avoided and added, "I certainly think that Major League Baseball and the players are aligned in the idea that we want to keep playing our games. I know that they've been working closely together to try and solve their differences."

For now, the A's won't have a general manager, but Fisher didn't discount filling the position.

"Many teams have a head of baseball operations, and that's what Taylor is," Fisher said. However, he noted the Los Angeles Dodgers have a top baseball operations executive and a general manager. 

"I'd say there is a good chance that we'll end up with a similar structure," Fisher said.