Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced significant changes in their front office, appointing new leaders for key positions. Sam Fuld, the current general manager, will transition to the role of president of business operations in May 2026 after completing his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. Until then, he will continue his duties as GM and support baseball operations.

Preston Mattingly has been promoted to general manager from assistant GM of player development. Luke Murton takes over as player development director from his previous position as hitting development director. Edwar Gonzalez steps into Murton's former role.

"Sam and Preston are two of the best young people in the game," said Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations. "It’s a great situation for us and for them."

Fuld was seen as a potential successor to Dombrowski or a future president of baseball operations within Major League Baseball. However, he opted for a different path by succeeding executive vice president Dave Buck, who is leaving at year-end. During this transition period, managing partner John Middleton and other executives will oversee business operations.

"This was born out of a conversation I had with Dave and John this spring," Fuld explained. "We just sort of talked about the short term, the midterm and the long-term implications of this opportunity."

Despite moving away from baseball operations temporarily, Fuld remains committed to contributing to the team's success on-field: "Baseball has been my heart and soul my whole life...I’m incredibly excited about what lies ahead on the business side."

Mattingly expressed enthusiasm about his promotion: "I think when you get into [baseball], you don’t really know where it’s going to take you...you hope that one day you can do the job as they do."

Murton joined the Phillies as hitting development director in December 2022 and now oversees their farm system. Mattingly praised Murton's skills: "His ability to connect with staff but also connect with players...I think he’s well equipped to take over the entire Minor League organization."