Worrying Signals Indicate Houston Astros GM Isn’t Leading This Team

The Houston Astros continue to struggle this year.

After dropping their road series against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, they are now 8.5 games out of first place in the AL West and 5.5 out of third Wild Card place.

Considering how quickly things can change over the course of a baseball season, the Astros likely won’t throw in the towel when their championship-ready team is still within reach of making the postseason.

General manager Dana Brown said as much, bordering on stubborn that they won’t become sellers at the trade deadline.

But, as July 30 approaches, some worrying signs are emerging that he may not have a full say in this team’s operations.

Chandler Rome Athleticism immersed in things on this front.

He pointed to the fact that owner Jim Crane’s special advisor, Reggie Jackson, responded to questions about why Houston didn’t sign Blake Snell by saying there were “four or five people who make the decisions “.

It wasn’t a huge red flag at the time, but Rome also noted that Jackson’s “presence around the club has increased in recent weeks,” which should raise some eyebrows.

Others he mentioned among that group of “four or five” are franchise legends Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.

That’s before we even talk about Crane, who has been an active owner and even handed out his own contracts back when the Astros didn’t have an official general manager.

Considering what Brown said regarding their approach as the trade deadline approaches, it’s safe to assume he’s not the only one who has a say in how this organization will address things.

Brown comes from a scouting background and an Atlanta Braves organization that developed their homegrown talent into stars, something Houston did before entering this championship window and starting shipping out top prospects.

At the time, Brown’s hiring was seen as a move to get the Astros back on track when it came to building a strong pipeline, so if that team is no longer in contention for a spot in playoffs by July 30, then he would. will likely prefer to sell coins and get future assets in return.

It should be emphasized that this is just speculation.

Brown could be on the same page as everyone in the organization and those in the group that makes the decisions.

They all might think that this is still the time for them to be aggressive and become buyers in pursuit of another World Series title.

However, Rome also points out the elephant in the room.

“…it’s worth asking whether Brown has the autonomy to handle the trade deadline as he sees fit. Crane has been heavily involved in the last two deadlines…It’s unlikely “that Crane takes a completely hands-off approach,” he wrote. .

If so, Houston will almost certainly be a buyer.