Categories: News

Phillies announce series of contract extensions for key front office members

Sam Fuld is the general manager of the Phillies. (Phillies)

It’s been quite a while, but it appears that the Philadelphia Phillies will have stability in their front office for the foreseeable future.

The Phillies announced Monday that general manager Sam Fuld and assistant general managers Ned Rice and Jorge Velandia have signed contract extensions through the 2025 season.

Fuld, 41, joined the Phillies organization in November of 2017 and was promoted to general manager in December of 2020, shortly after Dave Dombrowski had been hired as president of baseball operations.

During an eight-year playing career, Fuld had stints in the outfield for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins. He was the runner-up to Alex Cora when the Boston Red Sox held a managerial search after the 2020 season. Now, he seems to be the favorite to become the next president of baseball operations whenever it is that Dombrowski walks away.

It doesn’t appear that Dombrowski, who is 66, will retire anytime soon. Last month, the Phillies gave him a contract extension through the 2027 season

The Phillies hired Rice to be an assistant general manager under Matt Klentak in January of 2016. When Klentak was demoted following a disappointing 2020 season, Rice served as the interim general manager until the hiring of Dombrowski to oversee baseball operations.

Velandia became the first Venezuelan assistant GM in MLB history when the Phillies promoted him to that role in December of 2020. Velandia was a utility infielder that played in parts of eight major league seasons for the San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland franchise. Prior to becoming assistant GM, Velandia worked in a variety of roles within the organization, and was even interviewed for the managerial vacancy ahead of the 2018 season, a job that ultimately went to Gabe Kapler.