Astros fire GM Dana Brown as owner Jim Crane assumes front-office duties
Houston Astros dismissed general manager Dana Brown and left owner Jim Crane in charge of baseball operations, with no immediate plan for a replacement.
The Houston Astros announced on Monday that general manager Dana Brown has been relieved of his duties, leaving the franchise without a permanent baseball-operations leader. Owner Jim Crane said he will oversee the front office together with assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff, as well as senior advisor Jeff Bagwell.
Crane told reporters that the decision was made by ownership, noting that the team was not where it wanted to be despite Brown being in the final year of his contract. He said Brown handled the departure professionally, though the former GM expressed disappointment.
The owner did not give a timeline for hiring a new general manager, indicating that a search is unlikely to begin until after the season to avoid contacting external candidates prematurely. When asked whether Bagwell was being considered for the role, Crane said the Astros have not started looking at any candidates.
Bagwell, a Hall of Famer who has served as senior advisor since April 2023, has no prior experience running a baseball-operations department. Crane has previously hired three first-time general managers—Jeff Luhnow, James Click and Dana Brown—each coming from outside the organization.
Analysts have speculated that internal figures such as Bagwell or Cook could be evaluated, and that the Astros might also consider executives from successful small-market clubs like the Rays, Brewers or Guardians. No official candidates have been identified.
The move makes the Astros the third American League West team to change general managers this season. Despite the change, Houston remains in contention for a playoff spot, having tied the Texas Rangers for first place after a recent win over the New York Yankees.