Astros Rumors: Houston appears to be circling top Brewers exec during search for new GM

While the writing had been on the wall for a while, the timing of the Houston Astros firing Dana Brown still came as a shock. Brown absolutely made mistakes in addition to having some rotten luck, but the logic of owner Jim Crane keeping him around to run both the Astros' 2026 draft picks as well as their trade deadline before sending him packing remains odd to this day. However, the biggest questions now are who Houston hires to replace Brown, as well as whether Crane will actually give the new GM room to operate.

The Astros were once a prime destination for any executive, but times have changed. Their minor league talent pipeline is not what it once was, and their roster has slowly deteriorated and become old and flawed over the last few years. Combine that unclear future with Crane's notoriously fickle and stingy ways, and you have a front office job that comes with a lot of baggage. Just ask James Click.

However, Houston is making some progress in their search if recent reports are accurate. According to a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Astros are looking very closely at hiring Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine as their next GM, although no decision has been made just yet.

Astros are seriously considering veteran Brewers executive Matt Kleine to fill their vacant GM position

It is hardly surprising that Houston is looking to the now World Series-bound Brewers for front office talent. The Astros are not strangers to having their own front office pillaged after successful seasons. At the end of the day, teams want winners, and the Astros would do well to bring in voices that have had success elsewhere.

Kleine also checks a lot of boxes aside from just working for Milwaukee which has made him a popular choice for other front office openings. Kleine joined the Brewers in 2007 as a scouting exec and worked his way up before being named assistant general manager under Matt Arnold in 2023. Given what the Brewers have done from a drafting and player development standpoint, it is no wonder Kleine's name came up early in the Astros' search and has remained a top choice.

What we don't know is whether or not Crane will give Kleine room to breathe without meddling or creating needless obstacles, and you can bet that is a question Kleine is asking himself right now. The Astros and Crane clearly want to compete for a playoff spot every single year, but that doesn't mean he is going to be on the same page with his front office. In fact, if history is any indication, there will be conflict, and whoever the new GM in Houston ends up being will have to be comfortable navigating that dynamic with Crane.

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