Just hours after the Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series, Cam Castro was flying to Las Vegas to meet with Athletics President of Baseball Operations Taylor Smith as part of the interview process, before flying back to Milwaukee to celebrate with his former club. 

Taylor Smith was looking for someone with a complementary set of skills to the ones he possesses, and on Wednesday the Athletics hired Castro as the team's new GM. They wasted no time in introducing him, holding that press conference on Thursday. 

Smith said that Castro stood out for his depth of knowledge, the clarity of his vision, and the results that have followed him through his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.

In his time with the Brewers, Castro spent his first three years working on the pitching side of things, before being promoted to VP of player development in 2022, and then SVP of player development and performance in 2024. 

Castro mentioned in his opening statement that they will be working on making sure their players have not only the right physical skills to have success at the next level, but also the baseball I.Q. and the understanding of the game that will contribute to wins in the big leagues. 

"We're also going to prioritize people," Castro said. "We're gonna hire some of the very best people in their fields. We're gonna give them great information, great resources, guidance, and then just turn 'em loose to develop a player development system that our organization can depend on."

Smith said that the plan moving forward will be for Castro to oversee both the major league and minor league development, not only in terms of the on-the-field aspect, but also the nutrition plans they put in place, strength and conditioning and the medical side of things. The plan is to get the players ready both physically and fundamentally. 

Castro will also be partnering with Smith on "high-level strategic decisions" as well as putting together the roster and allocating their funds to get the best return on the field. 

The new GM also couldn't commit to the club definitely adding to the scouting department just yet, because he's still in his first full day on the job, and those are conversations that he and Smith are having, while also trying to get to know the organization. 

Those types of hires could end up falling under the banner of figuring out how to allocate the funding they're given. 

Castro was asked what he learned from playing a role in the building of the Brewers' championship team that could be applied to the A's in Las Vegas — particularly after building that roster on a smaller payroll.

"People," Castro said. "Pour into them. Pour into the players. Let 'em know you're there for them. Make good decisions, and put people in a place to be successful." 

There was certainly an emphasis on the people aspect of building the franchise on Thursday. 

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said in an interview on the Welcome to the Party podcast that the team's secret to success has been hiring the right people — people that you don't mind seeing at work every day. 

This seems to be a similar focus for Castro and the new-look A's front office, along with getting the analytics game up to speed and getting the players the best information available. This winter will be great for getting those systems in place with an expected lockout slowing down the offseason until a new CBA can be agreed upon. 

The lockout wouldn't begin until December 1, however, meaning the next four weeks or so will be a roster construction sprint. 

"Baptism by fire," Smith said with a smile about how they'd figure out how to work together. "We've got a ton of work to do, and not a ton of time to do it."