The Houston Astros and GM Dana Brown are “parting ways”, despite the team being in first place of the AL West, most likely heading to the playoffs.
Here’s what Dana Brown said about being let go in the final year of his contract:
“I came up the old-school way, and the old-school way is get the job done and the (contract) extension will take care of itself,” Brown told The Athletic. “That’s what I believe. I’m an old-school cat. I was trained by old-school guys. And I believe if you get the job done, the extension will take care of itself.”
Yes, the Astros are a half-game up on the Texas Rangers, but no one within those walls believes this squad is about to make a historic World Series run.
And it’s all Dana Brown’s fault, according to Astros owner Jim Crane.
The Astros won the 2022 World Series and allowed James Click’s contract to expire—offering Click, World Series champion, a 1-year extension—knowing he’d decline the disrespectful faux-deal.
Dana Brown signed the GM contract in January 2023 but Jim Crane and “senior advisor” Jeff Bagwell joined forces to switch some things up before Brown arrived. First, they signed 1B Jose Abreu to $60m and set-up man Rafael Montero to $34.5M.
Abreu batted .158 with a 73 OPS+ and -1.8 WAR—cut, never played again. Montero earned a 4.94 ERA after penning the deal. Montero most recently released by the Yankees on August 11th—1-4 record and a 5.67 ERA in Triple-A. Old man stealing innings from the youngins and wasting them, chasing hoop dreams.
Astros asked Dana Brown to clean up their slop and Brown failed.
Christian Javier and Jose Altuve got extensions. Cool. But Brown couldn’t handcuff Alex Bregman or Kyle Tucker. Jeremy Pena and Hunter Brown are still without long-term extensions—a move he claimed he inherited from his time with Atlanta, locking in their core players for the long haul, making roster building less frantic—fewer plates to spin when more guys are etched in stone.
[RELATED: Dodgers Star Outfielder Defers Talent To a Later Date]
Although, I reckon it’s difficult to lock in Kyle Tucker, blossoming into one of the best outfielders in the sport, when $60m is tucked away for 36-year-old Jose Abreu.
Personally, I don’t mind Dana Brown’s work. Josh Hader and Christian Walker were good signings. Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski for Kyle Tucker’s a good deal, considering where Tucker is now. Would’ve happened sooner if he extended to a 9-figure salary in Houston. I’ve heard enough old-timers talk about the pressures that come with that big money to understand Kyle Tucker wasn’t built for it. Cam Smith is 23-years-old with an 88 wRC+, he’ll improve. Parades is the type of hitter you can flip at a trade deadline for some more lotto tickets.
The pitching stinks. Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai are mid. Burrows got options (saved by an MRI placing him on the IL or else that man would’ve been in the minors), and Imai turned into a middle reliever.
[RELATED: Free Falling Tigers Finally Demote Worst Outfielder In Sport]
This is the best-case scenario for Dana Brown.
He got GM experience, and he’ll get another shot at this. And now he’s free of Jim Crane and his cronies like Jeff Bagwell meddling in every roster decision, making Brown second-guess and question his own instincts.
I call Deadseriousness the last sports blog and I don’t think I can be a sports blog in 2026 without every story ending with a desire to behead the wealthy owner of a ball club refusing to just sit down and chill.
READ NEXT: Totally Innocent Man Sells NBA Team To State
If you enjoyed what you read, head over to our Substack. We’ve got more content making fun of the ridiculous world we live in, sent directly to your email inbox daily.
Follow us over on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at [email protected]. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee.
