The Astros’ search for a new general manager is starting to sharpen, and two familiar names inside the organization are in the mix.
Assistant general managers Gavin Dickey and Charles Cook are among the candidates who have interviewed for the opening, according to reporter Brian McTaggart. Cook has also surfaced as a possible internal choice as Houston works to replace Dana Brown, who left the organization in late August.
Owner Jim Crane said in August that the club would wait until after the season before digging into the search in earnest. He also signaled that the Astros would not limit themselves to candidates who have already run a baseball operations department.
“Experience is valuable but not necessary,” Crane said. “We’ve had a pretty good run with the guys we’ve had one way or the other.
All of that is measured. Experience in business, experience in baseball, always helps.”
Now about two months into the process, there is some internal optimism that Houston could have a hire in place before the end of the World Series, according to multiple team and league sources. At least one candidate has also made a visit to Houston during the search.
For now, a small group is handling baseball operations under Crane’s oversight. That group includes assistant general managers Cook, Dickey and Connor Huff, along with senior advisor Jeff Bagwell.
The Astros have not set a deadline for the GM hire, and there is still another major vacancy to fill. The team decided not to bring back Joe Espada after three seasons as manager and announced that move on October 14, leaving both the general manager and manager jobs open.
If Houston hires the general manager first, that executive could help lead - or at least take part in - the search for Espada’s successor. The team has not said whether it plans to follow that route.
The timing matters because this is coming off a season that fell short of the club’s expectations. Houston made the playoffs for the 11th time in 13 seasons, but it also posted fewer wins for the fourth straight year. Then came the wild-card round sweep by Chicago, which pushed the Astros’ wait for a postseason victory into another season.
That leaves the next general manager with plenty on the plate as Houston tries to get back to deeper October runs. Crane’s willingness to look beyond executives with prior top-level experience could open the door wider, but Dickey and Cook are the internal names already tied to the search as the Astros continue weighing their next move.
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