Phillies tab former major leaguer Sam Fuld as general manager
The Philadelphia Phillies have selected former major league outfielder Sam Fuld to fill their vacant general manager position, the team announced Tuesday.
Fuld, a 10th-round selection out of Stanford in the 2004 amateur draft, played for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins from 2007-15.
Fuld, 39, will report to the team's new president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, as the Phillies look to snap a streak of nine consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
While he didn't make much of a mark as a hitter -- with a .227 batting average and 12 home runs during his playing career -- Fuld lasted eight seasons in the majors on the strength of his defense, making several spectacular catches along the way.
After his playing career ended, Fuld joined the Phillies front office -- first as a player information coordinator under former manager Gabe Kapler, then as the team's director of integrative baseball performance.
Fuld becomes the second former MLB player this offseason to become a first-time general manager -- following ex-pitcher Chris Young, who was hired Dec. 7 to take over duties with the Texas Rangers.