Former Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Gets Hired in Front Office Role by Athletics

When Dave Dombrowski was hired to become the Philadelphia Phillies' president of baseball operations ahead of the 2021 campaign, the franchise was in the midst of a long playoff drought.

Following their elimination in the National League Division Series in 2011, they had yet to make the postseason in a singular campaign before their magical run to the World Series in 2022.

Despite the lack of spending and roster moves as a whole this winter which has miffed the fan base, it's hard to say those same fans aren't happy with how the Phillies have operated to get this organization back into championship contention.

Making the right front office decisions goes a long way, and a franchise that is undergoing a ton of changes hired a former Philadelphia pitcher to a new role.

The Athletics have hired former World Series MVP and Athletics Hall of Famer Dave Stewart as a Special Assistant to Player Development for the 2025 season.
— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) January 22, 2025

With the Athletics leaving Oakland, their future is up in the air.

Whether they eventually do move to Las Vegas like intended or not, it's time for that team to start getting serious about competing in Major League Baseball, and bringing in the former star to help out is being lauded as a great hire.

Dave Stewart began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series with them in 1981 before he was shipped to the Texas Rangers.

By the time the Phillies got him in 1985 when they put together their own trade package to acquire him, he wasn't quite the same player as he was previously, but the hope was he could still become an impact pitcher for them.

It never manifested that way, with Stewart posting a 6.48 ERA for Philadelphia across his 12 outings with the team until he was released.

Based on the way the rest of his career turned out, they likely wish they were a bit more patient.

After signing a minor league deal with the Athletics, he was completely dominant with that franchise by having five straight seasons with an ERA under 4.00 as a starter, including six out of his seven in his first tenure that included an All-Star appearance and World Series championship.

Stewart had four top four finishes in Cy Young voting, including a runner-up in 1989.

He signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that resulted in his third World Series ring before returning to the A's for the final Major League season of his career.

After his playing days, he has served in a multitude of roles across different organizations around the league.

Now, he's taking this assistant role in the player development side of things with the franchise where he performed his best.