VEGAS SPORTS REPORT: Athletics Hire Castro as GM, Golden Knights’ Connelly Stays Hot

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Athletics, preparing for their move to Las Vegas in 2028, have named Cam Castro, 36, formerly the Milwaukee Brewers’ senior vice-president of player development and performance, as their new general manager.

The A’s are bringing in an executive fresh off a World Series championship. Castro spent eight seasons with Milwaukee, where he played a key role in developing the organization’s pitching talent and overseeing its minor league development system.

Milwaukee’s Pitching Lab Comes West

Castro met with the media Wednesday (Nov. 4), alongside Taylor Smith, newly appointed president of baseball operations.

The A’s will play one more season in West Sacramento before moving into a new $2 billion ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip in 2028.

Castro oversaw the Brewers’ pitching-development program, commonly known as the “pitching lab,” an approach or philosophy he told reporters he plans to bring to Las Vegas.

The Brewers topped MLB in pitching wins with 103 and ranked second in team earned run average (ERA) at 3.51 (the Yankees led at 3.24).

A’s Last in MLB Pitching in 2026

The A’s finished 64-98 in 2026, finishing last in MLB in pitching, with a 5.43 team ERA.

Castro said he would incorporate the development processes associated with the Brewers program into every training environment available to the Athletics.

“You want to just give players good information, let them know exactly what you’re trying to improve, why that matters, and then how that’s going,” he said. “And yeah, I think we will build that into every environment that we have here.”

Analytics Must Deliver Results

Advanced analytics and technology alone won’t improve a baseball team, he added. 

“It has to reach the field,” he said. “It has to reach the player. The player has to be able to do something with it. We have to support the player in that process with just good coaching, good relationships.”

Castro credited the Brewers’ success to talented people working together without egos. He wants to establish that same culture in Las Vegas, emphasizing staff recruitment, collaboration, and player development.

Connelly Continues Impressive Rookie Surge

Vegas Golden Knights winger Trevor Connelly scored again last night in the team’s 2-1 win over the Red Wings in Detroit, bringing his season total to seven (along with five assists).

The 20-year-old rookie continues his emergence as one of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) impressive young players, early in the 2026-27 season.

Last night was the game-winner, a highlight-reel goal, with 1:42 remaining in the third period, the third straight game in which he has scored. The win pushed the Golden Knights to 11-5-2, one point behind the first-place Edmonton Oilers, who lost last night, 5-4, to the Anaheim Ducks.

Golden Knights Climb in the NHL Standings

“I feel like just every game, every practice, getting more comfortable,” Connelly told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s a new experience for me. Just learning from these guys and taking little things from them every day and just trying to bring it on the ice.”

Connelly is now tied for the rookie goal-scoring lead in the NHL, as he’s being given more responsibility under head coach Ryan Craig.

The Golden Knights’ next game is Sunday (Nov. 8) in Buffalo against the Sabres.

Raiders Renew Bay Area Rivalry

The Las Vegas Raiders, 4-4 on the season, third in the AFC West, are in San Francisco Sunday (Nov. 8) to take on the 6-1 49ers.

The Raiders are coming off a 38-33 win over the New York Jets, marked by rookie running back Mike Washington Jr.’s 83 yards on 25 carries and quarterback Kirk Cousins’ performance in leading the Raiders in a second-half comeback. The Raiders were down by nine at halftime.

Cousins was 19 of 26 for 247 yards passing. 

“Another top five defense in the league. Feels like I’m saying that every week the last several weeks,” said Cousins, referring to the 49ers. “I don’t know who the bottom five defenses are, but we’re not playing them. So maybe someday. But what a challenge. You know, great opportunity.”

Jeanty’s Role Raises Questions

Noteworthy in the Jets game was the lack of work thrown running back Ashton Jeanty’s way – just nine yards on two carries. Jeanty did catch three passes for 64 yards, including a big catch on the go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter.

“Ashton is still going to be a big part of our team,” said Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak, per ESPN. “He made a huge catch. He’s going to be a huge part of our run game going forward.”

Wide receiver Don’te Thornton (back), defensive tackle Thomas Booker (undisclosed), and cornerback Darien Porter (groin) are all questionable for the game.