What happened: Athletics owner John Fisher told beat writers Jason Burke and Martin Gallegos that hiring a general manager to work alongside Taylor Smith is a distinct possibility. The club named Smith president of baseball operations earlier this week after an October search that also included Brewers and Red Sox executives.

Why it matters: Adding a general manager would split day-to-day transactional and roster duties beneath Smith as the club enters the offseason. Pairing a president of baseball operations with a second-in-command general manager aligns the Athletics with the two-tiered front-office structure used across Major League Baseball.

What to watch: Fisher and Smith will determine whether to open a formal general manager search as offseason roster planning gets underway.