A split confirmed in the middle of the playoff chase
The Houston Astros and Dana Brown ended their partnership on Monday by mutual agreement. The 59-year-old general manager had been in the job since January 2023. His contract was due to expire at the end of the season anyway.
The timing stands out. Houston are 65-66 and have just lost six of their last eight. Even so, the franchise still shared top spot in the American League West with the Texas Rangers on Monday morning. Few organisations change the man in charge of baseball operations when a playoff berth is still in play.
“Over the last four seasons, Dana helped our organisation win two division titles and led our front office in scouting, the draft and player development,” said Jim Crane, the club’s owner and chairman.
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Four seasons, two division titles and one trade that will not go away
Brown leaves with two division crowns on his record. He also leaves behind a painful break in the run: last season, the Astros missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, ending an eight-year streak of post-season trips. His first year, in 2023, still finished with an American League Championship Series defeat in seven games against those same Rangers. In 2024, Detroit swept them out in the wild-card round.
His time in Houston will be tied to one trade. In December 2024, the Astros sent All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and brought back infielder Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and outfielder Cam Smith. The deal is still being debated in Houston.
“I want to thank Jim Crane for giving me the opportunity to serve as a general manager in MLB for the first time,” Brown said in response. Before arriving in Texas, he had worked in the front offices of Pittsburgh, Montreal-Washington, Toronto and Atlanta.
A front office run by committee
Brown’s duties will be split between assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff, with help from adviser Jeff Bagwell, the club legend and Hall of Famer. Crane will oversee baseball operations himself during the transition.
It is not the first time Houston have been left without a GM at an awkward moment. Brown’s predecessor, James Click, left the club a few days after the 2022 World Series title. This time, the role opens up with a month of the regular season left and the division still up for grabs.
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