The Athletic reports that Click is the first MLB GM in 75 years to be let go after his team won a World Series. NYY’s Larry McPhail was the last in 1947.
The Houston Astros decided to part ways with General Manager James Click less than a week after winning the World Series. Rumors were that Click and Astros’ owner Jim Crane were not getting along, and a situation may have been the deciding point.
In Happier Times: James Click and Dusty Baker look at Astros’ owner Jim Crane (photo, Houston Chronicle)
Click signed only two free agents on a longer Crane gave him. Still, the Astros had the pitching and hitting to win it all again this year, and they had won more games than any other MLB club since Click assumed the GM position in 2020.
So, why not renew Click’s contract? Crane offered Click a new deal, the same deal he offered Manager Dusty Baker. Both were offered one-year deals, which Baker accepted and Click did not. Click wanted a three-year deal, and Crane declined. The Astros’ management also did not re-sign Scott Powers, the Assistant GM, whom Click hired from the Dodgers early this year.
The unusual situation comes on the heels of the departures of other Astros executives. Former Assistant GM Pete Pitula left to become the Giants’ GM, and Oz Ocampo is now the Marlins’ Assistant GM.
While we may never know the whole story, one thing is clear: the Astros’ front office is going through a major makeover. Time will tell what Crane has in mind, including whether Jeff Luhnow will have a spot in Houston’s baseball operations.
