A Real Curveball: Phillies to Promote Sam Fuld to GM Role

The search is over and the man the Philadelphia Phillies were looking for was with them all along.

According to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Phillies are set to promote Sam Fuld to the position of general manager. This is a bit of a stunner, as Fuld hadn't been mentioned in reports of potential candidates. But the Phillies just surprised the baseball community by hiring Dave Dombrowski as president of baseball operations, and apparently, they are about to do the same with Fuld.

It is an interesting combination though. Dombrowski is a seasoned overseer of baseball operations and an accomplished executive. Meanwhile, Fuld just retired in 2015 after a long career as an outfielder with the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's. He moved into the Phillies' front office as someone who relayed analytical data to players. Sort of a messenger, if you will.

"I can appreciate what it’s like to step in the box and understand that some of the things that we may be asking them to do are really, really hard,” Fuld told Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I think that’s been an issue in the past I’ve seen. Players are told to do something from someone that doesn’t quite have playing experience at a high level and it can be frustrating when you’re told to do something that is really, really difficult. It’s taken for granted sometimes. Hopefully I can relate.”

Fuld, 39, will now get to use those skills in a more prominent position. In the process, he will become one of three former Major Leaguers currently serving as a GM, joining the Seattle Mariners' Jerry Dipoto and Texas Rangers' Chris Young.

The Phillies finished 28-32 and in third place in the NL East last season.