HOUSTON – The Astros have cast a wide net in their search for a new general manager, with several candidates who are up-and-coming executives from other clubs, as well as a pair of assistant general managers who worked under Dana Brown in Houston.
The leading candidate appears to Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine, who was in Houston last week and appeared with Astros owner Jim Crane at the Houston Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 induction, which included Hall of Fame pitcher Billy Wagner. Crane and Kleine appeared together on a video circulated on social media by Houston’s CBS affiliate.
Astros assistant GMs Gavin Dickey and Charles Cook have interviewed for the position, sources told MLB.com. Dickey, hired by the Astros as a scout in 2011, was promoted to assistant GM three years ago and oversees the Minor Leagues. Cook, a Yale graduate, joined the organization as a baseball operations apprentice in 2016 and has worked his way up, getting promoted to assistant GM four years ago.
Crane, who’s been in charge of baseball operations since Brown and the Astros parted ways on Aug. 24, is in Taiwan to promote baseball. The Astros will fill the role of GM before turning their attention to finding a replacement for manager Joe Espada, whose contract wasn’t renewed following three seasons.
Kleine, 40, who interned in the Astros’ media relations department in 2007, is in his 20th season with the National League champion Brewers and was promoted to assistant GM on Nov. 1, 2023. His primary areas of focus include roster construction, Major League transactions, financial planning, player evaluation, contract negotiation, staffing and procedural compliance. He also oversees the team's salary arbitration practice.
Kleine joined Milwaukee as an associate scout in 2007, a position he held until 2009. He has also served roles as baseball operations and amateur scouting intern (2009-11), baseball operations assistant (2011-13), coordinator of advance scouting and baseball contracts (2013-14), manager of baseball operations (2014-17), director of baseball operations (2018-19) and vice president of baseball operations (2020-23).
Among those who have drawn serious interest, according to a story published Monday in The Athletic, are White Sox assistant general manager Josh Barfield (who grew up in Houston), Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp, Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich and Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores, a former big league pitcher.
Crane plucked Jeff Luhnow to be GM and hired Mike Elias, currently the president of baseball operations with the Orioles, and several others away from the Cardinals shortly after purchasing the club in 2011. Crane was a Cardinals fan growing up and used to park cars at the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Another name to emerge as a candidate, according to a source, is Kevin Ibach of the American League champion Rays. He’s been with the Rays 14 seasons and was promoted to vice president/assistant GM three years ago. Crane hired James Click from the Rays to be the club’s GM prior to the 2020 season.