8:28pm: Crane doesn’t sound as if he’s leaning towards a leadership change, telling Mark Berman of Fox 26 he’s “aware both contracts are up and we’ll address them at the end of the season. We don’t want any distractions right now” (Twitter link).
6:50pm: The exact terms of James Click’s deal with the Astros weren’t publicized when he was hired in February 2020, but Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports that Click’s contract only runs through the conclusion of the 2022 season. It isn’t known if any extension talks have yet taken place or will place, but Rome writes that “within the organization, speculation about [Click’s] future has been a growing topic since the end of spring.”
After spending 14 years in the Rays front office, Click took over the Houston job in rather abrupt circumstances, hired less than a month after former GM Jeff Luhnow was fired in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. That organizational shake-up also cost A.J. Hinch his job as manager, leading to Dusty Baker’s hiring shortly before Click was brought on as the new head of baseball operations.
Given all of the tumult and controversy surrounding the Astros in the last few years, there hasn’t been much carryover to the on-field product. Houston finished 29-31 in the shortened 2020 season but still reached the playoffs, and advanced all the way to the ALCS. In 2021, Houston won 95 games, recaptured the AL West title, and advanced to the World Series before falling to the Braves in six games.
With a 90-50 record thus far this season, the Astros have the best record in the American League, and are again top contenders to win another championship. In a recent podcast appearance, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal implied that some postseason success could be a necessity for Click, as “there could be some [front office] maneuvering if the Astros sputter in the playoffs.”
Even if Houston did get upset in their first postseason round, it would still seem like Click has earned a bit more leeway given the team’s record over his two-plus seasons. However, as Rome notes, the Astros also took something of a wait-and-see approach with Baker — the manager initially signed a one-year deal with a club option that was only exercised after the 2020 season was complete, and Baker’s next contract was another one-year deal that is also up after the 2022 campaign.
It could be that Astros owner Jim Crane is again waiting until the season is completely over to work out extensions with Baker and Click, with the focus being solely on baseball for the present. Of course, that strategy also carries risk, as any teams with front office or managerial vacancies could then emerge as other suitors for Click or Baker’s services.
If Crane was indeed considering a change, it would immediately make Houston one of the most sought-after employment destinations in baseball for any general manager. The Astros are set up to be contenders for some time to come thanks to their fantastic core of both established and young talent — and that could also factor into Crane’s logic in perhaps wanting to move on. Much of the Astros’ roster was already in the organization before Click was hired, so it is possible Crane could see him as something of a steward of Luhnow’s work. Given the rather rushed circumstances behind Click and Baker’s hirings, Crane might prefer to take more time in a longer search to find the leader (or leaders) of the next chapter of the Astros’ future.
Go get him Illitch!
Jeff Luhnow probably is coming back with more trash cans and buzzers included.
Luhnow has explicitly stated he’s done with baseball and purchased a Spanish football club.
Yeah I think baseball is fine with that explicit statement.
As an Angels fan, I hope that Houston gets impatient and lets him walk. They’re 90-50; he and Dusty could have turned that entire situation into a dumpster fire. They didn’t. As much as it pains me to say, they’ve done an unbelievable job.
They convinced JV to return (many believed he wouldn’t) and have kept that nucleus together.
As much as I’d love to punch all of them in the face, esp smug Bregman, they should keep that group together and ride that train as long as they can.
DirkG, Bregman is pretty darn smug isn’t he? Only thing that comes to mind when I see him.
@dirkg As a Yankees fan, I begrudgingly agree.
Luhnow won with sign stealing. Cash stole signs and couldn’t even make a WS. Seems he can’t win w/o steroids being involved actually.
Keep Click, do not bring back Dusty.
Why?
He’s not a good manager. He was the perfect manager after Hinch got let go, but not the perfect manager to lead the team to another ring.
Not a good manager? What in the world else could this man do for you and this team??
Maybe the better question is, who is the predecessor-you envision that will elevate this team?
The grass isn’t always greener, and a bird in the hand is -by far worth one in the bush.
Dusty took on a job that nobody else wanted. Dusty doesn’t deserve any animosity for past transgressions. I doubt the man needed the cheddar after all these years. It did take guts to take the job. Guarantee you MLB BEGGED the man to take it and eventually he did. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is the Commish one day.
TWO for those whom understand/know the value.
I doubt anyone had to grovel for him to take a major league managerial position…..
Perhaps he wanted a shot at a WS.
You would be wrong friend. Nobody wanted that job and they were not going to give it to just anybody…Groveling would have just been the start. More like promised the world to him..
There were multiple people who wanted the job including Dusty. The vacancy came up 3 years after the cheating scandal took place, and just weeks after the Stros had been to their 2nd World Series. Crane hired Dusty as he wanted a steady hand for the team and someone that could also handle the media. Dusty has done both.
Taken place 3 years prior and JUST being discovered/made national news are 2 different things. This was not your typical managerial search. All my point is, is that Dusty is an MLB inside man (not a bad thing per-se) and he was selected/annointed for a reason.
?
He’s a Nat
Click didn’t choose ingredients but he’s cooked up a winner. I could see him doing well in another situation.
I’m surprised Lunhow hasn’t been offered another GM job. He was great at talent evaluating and developing. Cheating is a part of baseball and as much as I enjoy making fun of trashtros for getting caught. They probably weren’t the only ones doing it.
yup…
I don’t see how Hinch was hired while Luhnow still isn’t a GM. I could understand someone in the front office not being privy to cheating but not the head coach.
Hinch’s current employer is in the midst of a quiet and prolonged GM search after firing Avila. Just saying……..
How is it “prolonged” when the off season hasnt even arrived yet? There will always be more candidates available after the season. As Click took over a team without trying to remake it in his own image, I like him as a choice for Detroit. This was not the year to evaluate the team due to the large number of injuries. I really don’t want to see a new rebuild. I want to see someone who will complete the task.
As I understand it many of the cheating directives came directly from the front office, looking for that playoff game bonus cash and knowing that the MLB has a long history of pathetically inadequate punishments. I suppose the MLB accepted Hinch’s Nuremberg defense.
The whole thing was cooked up by Beltran and Cora, not by the front office. Go read MLB’s report. And it was done during home games, and not used by all the players. The Stros record at home that year was worse than it was on the road.
Bet every Patriots fan here will be really quick to condemn the Brady/Belichick football teams for cheating.
Deflategate again? Come on, that was just a distraction to get people to stop talking about all the domestic violence that was going on around the league at the time (remember Ray Rice cold-cocking his GF in the elevator?). ‘Lets get everyone talking about PSIs in footballs, instead.’ I guess it really worked on you.
The brass took it more personally than the other managers. He hasn’t been accepted back yet.
Probably? I think odds are much better that all 30 had their own version than only the Astros/Red Sox/Yankees being the only rule breakers.
Lunhow wasn’t liked by other people because he took advantage of a lot of people doing stupid things. And I think he rubbed people the wrong way. Seemed like a “my crap don’t stink and I’m smarter than everyone else in the room” type of person. I could be wrong, but that’s how I saw him.
Pretty big difference between feeding signs to runners on second base and using the trashcans.
Literally the only difference was how the electronically stolen sign was relayed to the hitter. It’s likely the Yankees figured out how to relay it to the hitter without a runner on second in following seasons.
Rumor has it Colorado used a massage gun on the bench
What? There both cheating. Cheating is cheating don’t twist it around.
No probably about it. Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers were cheating as well. Red Sox won the 2018 World Series cheating all the way just like the Astros. They got away with by putting all the blame on a video guy and being an MLB glamour team. The Yankees taught Carlos Beltran, Beltran taught Alex Cora and the Astros. Cora took it to Boston. Beltran would have taken it the the Mets if Rat Fiers would have stayed quiet—and he is a rat, especially that he didn’t return his championship ring or his winner’s share money. He was just pissed the Astros cut him loose and he spouted to The Athletic for revenge.
Dylan, 1st time I have heard about the Dodgers cheating. Are you sure? If so, how?
If widespread cheating was anything more than myth, wouldn’t every team have blown the whistle on each other? Why would the Astros and Red Sox have gone down without taken everyone with them? Full blown Samson option…I don’t understand…
Without **taking**
Multiple players have said it was league wide.
Players say a lot of things. Players test positive for juice and say things like ” it was for ringworm” etc…We need a little more to go on then that right? Al Jazeera ran an article a few years back that said Peyton Manning was juicing. Doesn’t mean it was true or that anyone believed it for that matter.
Dylan: MLB’s investigation of the 2018 Red Sox went on for months and uncovered no evidence of cheating. They admitted this in their report when they said they have a “factual dispute”, “largely have no direct evidence” and “no written record, recording or other contemporaneous evidence of the underlying events”. There was no evidence and the conclusion of cheating “on at least some occasions” was clearly based on speculation as MLB’s investigation failed to document a single occasion of cheating. This was very unfair to the Red Sox and Red Sox fans. Nothing in The Athletic’s accusation article was confirmed during the investigation, not even the way they supposedly signaled to batters from second base. JD Martinez was correct when he said they didn’t find anything. People should read MLB’s report which is still available on MLB.com.
KC will take Click, Lunhow, even Dusty Baker. All we ask for is hope and currently there is NONE
Angels will have a new owner who will want to install a real baseball front office.
HaloHeavenJJ, what do ya say, Jose Mota GM? Gubie Manager? Am I close?
How would you feel about an ownership group led by Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and Mark Cuban? (MLB doesn’t want Cuban.) I’m just shooting off.
For the Halos I would take it quick and not look back. Don’t even gotta ask twice. Done and done.
I’d take Cuban. Would probably step away from a team owned by roid boy Ortiz.
Weird James Click took his first FO job with the Rays in 2006, the same year Click starring Adam Sandler came out.
Coincidence? Not likely.
‘Click’ bait article
A White Sox fan can dream…
Wet.
Myself Dusty has not been a disaster. Click just came in. Myself think year to year not great. We will most likely face Tampa Bay then Yankees if we get that far. I do not think Seattle will beat Tampa. But how much will we have with them. We have a test soon when we play at their park. Then at home in the last week of games. I wonder if ASTROS do not retain Dusty would they look at Espada. He might get interviews again. Maybe with Texas Rangers. Click I cannot really say on do not know enough. I do not like year to year. I know both were in due to the situation at time. But do they have to win it all to remain
I know the players love Dusty. However I’d love to see Joe Espada get a shot at managing the team. Definitely don’t want to lose him. Storybook scenario would obviously be HOU winning it all and Dusty riding off into the sunset. Problem solved.
If Dusty retires, I’d think the reins get handed to Espada.
woo hoo
Yankees should be all over this but rumors suggest Cashman has already re-upped for another 5.
Mr. Click was with the Rays for 15 years. Doesn’t appear to b a job hopper. Why would he want to leave? He just moved his family to Houston.
He did a great job in the Carlos Correa situation, holding firm on the number of years the Astros would offer and how much (the owner was probably involved as well).
Unless 1) there’s a FO person in the Astros organization ready for a promotion; 2) David Sterns can opt out from the Brewers and come back to Houston, or 3) Mr. Crane has alienated a number of key Astros FO people; I think it’s stretching it to think he’ll be leaving.
I doubt Click is going anywhere. Crane’s priorities are probably to work out extensions for Click and JV. And then look at improving the team – centerfield and first base in particular.
@Samuel, Stroh
I agree that Click is unlikely to leave. Having the best record in your league is hardly a firing offence. Just hoping he might test the waters to see what’s out there. Maybe they will pull a Correa on him and decide he’s too expensive.
There has been questions on Baker’s lineup construction, and his tendency to frequently rest his starting players. But overall I think people in Houston have no quarrel with the job he has done.
Is really like the Os to just go ahead and give Elias and Sid a 10 year deal. Can’t have them back
I would have extended him prior to this. That said, Walter Alston always got one-year contract from the Dodgers.. It never seemed to hurt him!