A's Promote Billy Beane to EVP of Baseball Operations; David Forst to GM

The Oakland A's have promoted Billy Beane to Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and David Forst to General Manager, the team announced today.

"Billy Beane and David Forst have continually proven themselves to be two of the best baseball minds in the game today," said A's Owner and Managing Partner Lew Wolff. "The team remains in great hands. We're very fortunate to have not one but two executives of their caliber."

Beane was named General Manager shortly following the 1997 season. Under his watch, the A's have compiled a 1552-1362 (.533) record over the last 18 seasons, which is the fourth best record in the American League and sixth best in all of baseball during that time frame. The A's have won six American League West titles (2000; 2002-03; 2006; 2012-13) and secured two AL Wild Card spots (2001 and 2014) during that span. In 2013, Beane was named Baseball America's Major League Executive of the Year for the second time (also in 2002). That award came on the heels of Beane being selected as The Sporting News Executive of the Year for a second time in his career in 2012 (also in 1999). He also earned MLB.com's Greatness in Baseball Yearly (GIBBY) Award as the 2012 MLB Executive of the Year and the 2012 Legacy Awards' Rube Foster Award as AL Executive of the Year, presented by the Negro League Baseball Museum.

Forst recently completed his 16th season with the A's and his 12th as Assistant General Manager. He was appointed to the Assistant General Manager position in February of 2004 after serving as an Assistant to the General Manager and Coordinator of Professional Scouting. His primary duties include working with Beane on all player acquisitions, contract negotiations and player evaluations.