7:36pm: Click received a multi-year commitment from the Astros, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link).
6:14pm: The Astros have decided upon James Click as their new general manager, per a club announcement. Click had served as Rays vice president of baseball operations.
Having already installed Dusty Baker as its new manager, the scandal-ridden Houston organization has now replaced its prior leadership team. Manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were suspended and fired for lack of oversight in the sign-stealing episode that clouded the team. Owner Jim Crane, who sat atop of those two in the organizational hierarchy but escaped censure or discipline, led a fast-moving hiring search.
Meanwhile, it’s another major departure for the Rays, who had touted a three-person baseball operations leadership team that included Erik Neander, Chaim Bloom, and Click. While Neander still commands the GM seat in Tampa Bay, he’ll now be doing battle rather than collaborating with Bloom (now the Red Sox chief baseball officer) and Click in the American League.
Click, a Yale grad, had been with the Rays since 2006. He entered the organization as a baseball ops coordinator, then touched most all the bases on his way up the food chain.
The team’s account of his most recent position reads as follows: “he is involved in all aspects of the baseball operations department with a focus on baseball research and development, baseball systems, clubhouse operations and departmental logistics.” Click had been tasked with an expanded role following the departure of Bloom. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand spoke with Click last year on his podcast, if you’re interested in learning more.
Click seems sure to fit right into the Astros’ analytically oriented system after 14 years with the Rays. Crane explained that the organization “zeroed in” on Click after several interviews, noting that “he comes from a team that does a lot of things like we do.” Click simply “knew exactly what we were doing,” says Crane, and “felt he could add another dimension to it.” (Via Mark Berman of FOX 26; Twitter links.)
At the same time, Click will presumably be tasked with instilling discipline and establishing ethical guidelines for a baseball operations outfit that actively participated in the sign-stealing scheme. Commissioner Rob Manfred determined that, while Luhnow had not directed or specifically engaged in the malfeasance, he had created an “insular culture – one that valued and rewarded results over other considerations, combined with a staff of individuals who often lacked direction or sufficient oversight.” Though Crane disputed the findings of Manfred in that regard, and we can’t know how he’ll direct his new baseball operations leader, we may at least hope that Click will make a positive impact on the Houston baseball ops group.
There’ll obviously be a longer-term process for Click as he takes the helm in Houston. But he also faces an immediate challenge of preparing for Spring Training in just two weeks’ time. The Astros roster is loaded with talent and largely complete, depending upon one’s perspective (and Crane’s willingness to spend). But Click will no doubt have his own preferences on the margins, if not even some relatively larger thoughts on preparing for a season in which the Astros will again be among the favorites in the American League even in spite of their self-inflicted wounds.
Pick to Click!
Talk about click bait
Yeah, all that searching for a new Gm and he was always just a click away.
Hahahaha good one.
Nice
Click, click boom.
The bang of trash cans has been reduced to nothing but a click, how the mighty cheaters have fallen…
any time he dangles a player we shall call it clickbait
That just doesn’t click
Love to hear him talk baseball with Dusty.
I bet he and dusty will really click
Jim Crane sure hope this guy clicks in H Town.
When he gets caught cheating using technology the puns of him clicking delete are going to be glorious!
I’m mostly not trying to be a smartass, but was the use of ‘if’ in your comment intentional. As opposed to the word ‘when’, that is.
Either or is fine, just asking for some clarity is all.
Little known fact. Much like Billy Beane having a movie about him, James Click had a movie made about him. Although, instead of Brady Pitt, he got Adam Sandler to portray him.
Not your best stuff
Click Clack
Let’s hope the new GM
Does not smack the trash cans
With a bat
He better CLICK all the right buttons!!!
Didn’t this guy used to write for Baseball Prospectus, too?
Indeed, he did.
Thanks Manfred for being a coward! Who doesn’t love cheaters getting rewarded by being able to poach members of other front offices!
Wow just when you think you’ve seen the worst take …..
How should the MLB have handled this specifically ? Given a specific restriction that the Astros can’t hire a GM that is currently employed elsewhere? That punishes working executives as much as the Astros.
I understand the anger about cheating but being angry that the Astros hired a replacement is silly
Why would I want my teams front office to get poached by a cheating organization? Y’all cowards are moronic
Does your helmet have reflectors on it
Yandy, how would Manfred have been able to limit the Astros’ applicant pool to fill the manager and GM positions? In your opinion, where should they have been allowed to pull from other than the world of baseball?
“Y’all cowards are moronic” . I’m guessing you’re not southern.
If the rays wanted to keep him then they should have promoted him. Why not be happy that a guy who has helped your team is moving on to a bigger opportunity
My family has lived in Florida for six generations, so I’d watch your mouth you filthy carpetbagger.
Where should they have been able to hire from? Oh I don’t know, maybe they should’ve been forced to hire internally and not steal my teams vp of baseball operations two weeks before spring training
Yandy:
“My family has lived in Florida for six generations, so I’d watch your mouth you filthy carpetbagger.” Or what? (BTW I live in the south.)
“Y’all cowards are moronic” . The term “Y’all” is a southern contraction for “you all”. So the sentence “You all cowards are moronic” makes no sense. That’s all I’m saying.
And if they filled the positions from within, they would be promoted, not hired. Plus, they would still have to hire someone to fill the people’s jobs who were promoted. It’s simple math. If you fire two people, you will have to hire two people somewhere to fill the void.
It makes perfect sense which is how I know you’re a carpetbagger.
No one cares if you have to promote sequentially from within until you’re forced to pick up a dork with glasses from Princeton as an intern. It’s a lot different when you’re replacing a GM with the vp of baseball operations from another team (especially when the replacement is probably better than the garbage bag you had before)
@yandymania
I’m curious as whom you were referring to as ‘moronic’ and why.
Was it a commentor, the Astros, both?
Now, I’m assuming your use of the word ‘moronic’ refers to someone who dosent understand something.
What is it that Astros and/or others understand that you do? You don’t have to share since freedom of speech is pretty great, but then I will be without knowledge that another has, knowledge that interests me.
View my comment as you will, but my take is mostly curiosity. The rest is just filler for my ego.
“It makes perfect sense which is how I know you’re a carpetbagger.” It actually doesn’t, grammatically. And again, I live in the south and I’m not from the north and the Civil War is over. Who uses the term carpetbagger anyway?
Baseball is business. You can’t dictate where a team fills its vacancies from. Even a team that cheated.
@yandymania, first of all it’s “Y’all are moronic cowards”. Beings this had to be explained to you I’m guessing you were saying that into a mirror.
Secondly, the fact that the Astros hired click has you so in your feelings just makes my heart smile.
thirdly, what moron would think that a team wouldn’t be allowed to hire someone in baseball to lead a baseball team? The Astros got busted. Jeff Luhnow (the best GM in the business as far as baseball goes) was fired for his lack of oversight. That position had to be filled. Sadly whoever was hired was a step backwards.
Lastly, and something to keep you in your feelings, Click and company did a fantastic job in Tampa Bay. If he can do that with a low budget team like the Rays just imagine what he’s going to do with a real team with a real payroll.
(((end trolling of yandymania)))
Wow Yandy, you’re a REALLY scary internet tough guy. I am literally shaking in my boots right now.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Poached? The dude worked for the Rays for 14 YEARS!! They could have easily blocked it by, idk, promoting him to GM or something higher up the food chain maybe?
Glad they ruined your day. Now go cry yourself to sleep
They could not even talk to Click without the Rays permission.
And the worst comment of the day award goes to yandyclown
It would have been the most appropriate for Manfred to appoint Dave Stewart as the Astros GM. That would have been sufficient punishment.
10/10
The Rays could have gone to Click and said, we don’t want you to leave. Here is more money and a promotion. They chose not to do that. Blame the Rays, not Houston.
Tampa Bay is the Triple AAA of GM school.
so the AAAAAAAAA?
I keep thinking Jiminy Glick.
Thought the same and my mind ran wild with the possibilities!
She made the Kessel run in less than twelve parclicks
….She’s a piece of junk!
Why not Dumbrowski tho?
Why not the guy who was the GM of the 2018 Red Sox tho?
For a little background on this guy, check out the biographic film of his life — “Click”, starring Adam Sandler. You won’t regret it. It’s inspiring seeing how some of these guys end up in baseball!
It’s probably just a coincidence, but comparing the Astros replacement GM to the movie “Click” makes me think that the team is going to be terrible under Adam Sandler…..I mean, under Adam Sandler.
Click, Click, Boom, Boom
video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-pty-pty_p…
Never Clicked on an article so fast!
I didn’t see that one clicking
#clickclick
If this guy has a dog be sure to hide your big stuffed ducks, folks !
If this guy has a dog be sure to hide your big stuffed ducks, folks !
Wait, what’s to keep this guy from using his remote to cheat in a new way ? The Astros’ punishment should be they have to hire actor Jason Biggs (from “Loser”) to run the team and no american pies can be served in the park.
The most negative take on this article so far, at least to me. I’m going to assume you dislike Astros based off this, but that’s all I’m getting from your comment. Is their something I’m missing or is that it? Either way, thank you for sharing your feelings. It’s fun for me to see the varying takes.
Dusty and Click sounds like a bad Western.
Or a charming little kids book.
I read that title as Jiminy Glick.
Then you can’t read.
Astros Select James [Click here to continue reading article]
I used to hang out with a baseball click in high school. We were all in the same jim class.
Is it possible to learn this jim class?
I went to a catholic school. We called it Saint James class
Baseball is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unclickable.
I used to try to kick it with the guys in shop class, but they had me run aarons all the time and were always darren each other to do dumb stuff.
click click bang bang
James is gonna click the * button for the asterisks
Lol….what?
If the Astros are really serious about putting this cheating scandal in the rear view mirror, clean out your locker room of the alleged cheaters and start over….That would be a lot more brass than firing two guys on the fringes….
The Kutch… Are you aware of the letter from Manfred’s office suspending Hinch and Lunhow for 2020 until after the World Series 2020? That was a MLB mandated punishment along with the loss of draft picks in first 2 rounds of 2020 and 2021 and a 5 mil fine.
If you were unavailable to perform work activities for a year for non compliance with regulatory rules resulting in a huge scandal… Would your employer employ you or fire you?
They were fired to overly comply with the MLB ruling. and release the team from further PR issues from any public statements or future legal action.
The Astros Organization met all the details defined by the MLB. discipline statement. No further actions were defined or expected.
@Allen Adams the Astros organization may have been punished by MLB but they will never have a reputable name again..
Not your problem. BTW, that’s why the ChiSox are not reputable any more.
Allen…I am aware of the penalties for Luhnow and Hinch, and admire Crane for looping them off…what I’m saying is the players who cheated (Bregman Altuve, etc…are still there…if the Astros want to send a strong message to everyone, trade everyone that was participating in the scandal and start over, without that stink hanging over your franchise…
So MLB lets the players skate but Crane is supposed to trade them all to satisfy you?
How does that punish the players? By trading them they still have their contracts and pay and will play. So you only punish the fans! Not a smart idea.
I think the players and the fans of opposing clubs and sportswriters will be the ultimate punishers of the cheating players involved. Unfortunately we as local fans of our local Baseball team are forced to endure the brunt of the same punishment for what we had no part of. Attrition of contracted players into free agency or trade is the only way to disperse the guilty. The Baseaball writers will remember and withhold MVP votes or HOF votes in the future for the years and players in question. Unfortunately the only recourse for the team is to keep on winning or collapse crumble and rebuild.
How dare you mention Altuve. How dare you, sir! Be classy. Take it back.
Mention Bregman (cocky, fair game), Springer (nice guy, breaks our hearts he did it, fair game). But mention Altuve again and I will be forced to have to write a strongly worded reply in defense of his little, pure, non-cheating, hall of fame honor. And you know you don’t want that.
I have to take that bait, I believe Altuve cheated…I’m anxiously awaiting your strong words defending Altuve’ pure heart…
There are currently 6 former Rays managers/staff that are MLB managers, 3 MLB GM’s and if a little research was done a couple of handfuls of other top front office personal spread throughout the league. It’s only my opinion but I can’t imagine MLB allowing this kind of high end poaching taking place in other certain favored organizations.
They just talked about that on MLB Tonight. 2 out of the last 3 World Series Champs brass came from Tampa. Pay them and they won’t leave. These guys are leaving for promotions. Tampa is frustrated yet not doing anything about it.
TBR your clueless. These are all promotions. Of course MLB is going “to allow it”. You do not see Tampa crying or refusing to allow the interview do you? No you do not.
The Astros have been losing just as many.
Ahh, can not wait until beamball gets back into the swing of things (rib cages, thighs, and asses only pitchers)
Clicks to do list
#1Call Home Depot order new trash cans.
#2 Order New uniform tops that can’t be torn off.
#3 Order integrated ear listening devices that appear to be ear plugs
Remember that time in 2019 when the Astros won over 100 games and went 7 games in the WS without actually cheating?
Maybe the Angels should START cheating so they can (maybe) become a .500 club and stop wasting Mike Trout’s career.
You forgot the period on #3 (and other typos). Burns are better when you have proper punctuation.
James Click? Click once for fastball, twice for changeup. Out of all the names they could have chosen….
Entertaining comments. Making fun of the guy’s name. Wow, it must have been bring your 7 year old to MLBTR Comments Day.
Sounds like middle school.
So the Astro’s get punished by poaching the front office of the Rays a little over a week before spring training begins?
Should Click be punished by not being allowed to accept a promotion?
A click is just a less detectable bang.
The Rays are exceptional at developing front office personnel. Any smart kid would be very blessed to start in that organization. Hopefully the same is said of the Diamondbacks organization some day. Seems like that is only said of a few organizations. One would think that ownership would want that as a goal because it produces a consistent winner, where there is a natural turnover, not a complete revamping of organizational philosophy.
The Astros have produced just as many.
Click click click, give me a trash can to bang.
This is definitely clickbait.