The Astros’ search for a new general manager has led them to a familiar name with a heavy October footprint attached to it.
Houston is interviewing former Nationals GM Mike Rizzo for its vacant front-office post Monday, USA Today reported. Bob Nightengale, citing two people with direct knowledge, said Rizzo is meeting with the club in Houston. Those sources spoke anonymously because the Astros want to keep the process private.
Rizzo’s name carries obvious baggage in Houston. He built the 2019 Nationals team that beat the Astros in the World Series, a seven-game series Washington won to claim the franchise’s only title. He also spent nearly 20 years in Washington’s front office, becoming general manager in 2009 and adding president of baseball operations in 2013.
His run in Washington ended when the Nationals fired him and manager Dave Martinez in July 2025.
Before Washington, Rizzo had another potential landing spot this offseason. He interviewed for the Athletics’ general manager opening, then took himself out of the running after the interview, telling USA Today he preferred the Houston job.
His track record in Washington included some major personnel swings. Rizzo drafted Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper with back-to-back No. 1 overall picks, and in 2022 he dealt Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres in a trade that returned James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.
USA Today also reported that Rizzo lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the Astros and Nationals share a spring training complex.
Houston has been searching for a GM since late August, when the club and Dana Brown agreed to part ways a day after a loss to the A’s dropped the Astros to 65-66. Brown had been in the job since January 2023.
At that point, the team said assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff and senior adviser Jeff Bagwell would handle Brown’s responsibilities, with owner Jim Crane overseeing baseball operations.
The Astros’ season ended in the American League Wild Card Series, where the Chicago White Sox swept them in two games. Earlier this month, the team said it would not renew manager Joe Espada’s contract, leaving Crane with both the GM and manager openings to fill.
Houston has also interviewed Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Matt Klein, according to USA Today, and wants to have a GM in place before the annual general managers meetings in Las Vegas next month.
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Abrams fits that mold for a club still weighing longer-term options at shortstop, and his strong 2026 season only adds to the intrigue around a player Boston considered before the market got too expensive. The Nationals, meanwhile, know they have a sought-after piece if the Red Sox circle back again, even if any real conversation would likely start with the same obstacle that stopped a deal the first time: the price. [Read more 🡒]
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Nationals Still Have A Catcher Question This Winter
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One possible fit is Jorge Alfaro, who is now available after being released by the Royals. Alfaro already spent time with Washington in 2025, appearing in 14 games, and his big-league track record gives the Nationals a familiar fallback if they want another experienced glove in the system. He would not be brought in to change the top of the depth chart, but he could give the club another layer of insurance behind Ruiz and Harry Ford as the offseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]