Beane, who was the subject of the movie "Moneyball," helped lead a major rebuild of the A'sGETTY IMAGES
Next season "might be the last" for longtime A's Exec VP/Baseball Operations Billy Beane, as there is "increasing speculation in baseball circles and among those who know the A's higher-ups" that Beane will transition out of his role, according to Susan Slusser of the S.F. CHRONICLE. With no long-term contract offers on the table, A's Managing Partner John Fisher will "decide to head in a different direction," or more likely, Beane will "take a step back" to allow GM David Forst to run the whole show. The A's are "undergoing a major rebuild, spearheaded by Beane and Forst," and upending the "architects of the rebuild during the process would be unusual." However, change is the "new normal inside the franchise, which has added more than 50 employees in the past year and a half," including seven VPs. The A's are "taking on more of a tech-firm vibe," and a few long-term employees have been "let go or encouraged to go elsewhere." Beane has "several professional commitments outside of baseball," including owning a share of English League One club Barnsley FC. It would "surprise no one who knows Beane if he wanted to pursue other opportunities, in baseball or elsewhere." That could "get tricky," however, as Beane "retains a small ownership stake in the A's, and any other team he might join would by definition be a competitor" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/19).
