We haven’t heard much from Sam Fuld, the Phillies’ general manager, in some time. While he’s never been the public face of the front office—since Dave Dombrowski is the final decision-maker—it turns out there’s a reason for his relative silence. Fuld is working toward completing his master’s degree at the Wharton School, with plans to take charge of the team’s business operations once he finishes in 2026. In the meantime, the team has promoted Preston Mattingly from his role as director of player personnel to GM. Luke Murton will now take over Mattingly’s previous position.
This move is intriguing and could be an indication that other teams were showing interest in Mattingly, possibly prompting the Phillies to act to keep him in-house. While we don’t have confirmation of that, the reasoning makes sense.
The structure of decision-making remains unchanged, with Dombrowski still at the helm and Mattingly now in the No. 2 spot. This move also sets up a clear succession plan for when Dombrowski eventually steps down.