Latest James Click rumors could set up Astros for the ultimate embarrassment

The stage is set for James Click to throw down a massive dunk on Jim Crane.

Eric Cole

Division Series - Seattle Mariners v Houston Astros - Game One / Bob Levey/GettyImages

One of the more unfortunate periods of time recently for the Houston Astros was when former general manager James Click got run out of town by owner Jim Crane. Coming off the sign-stealing scandal, Click stabilized the organization and helped the Astros secure the 2022 World Series, only to reject what was a pretty insulting one-year contract offer that offseason. We'll probably never know exactly why things deteriorated like they did between Click and Crane, but fans may have to see what Click is capable of when he is given free rein.

If you look around baseball, one of the worst-run organizations in the league, going back years, has been the Rockies. Their owner, Dick Monfort, seems clueless as to how to build a functional front office and is hopelessly loyal to employees who very clearly are not up to the job. There are very good reasons why most free agents other than Kris Bryant avoid Colorado, and it isn't just the altitude.

Well, it sounds like Click is one of the top candidates for the finally vacant general manager position with the Rockies. If Click gets hired and somehow turns that trainwreck around, Crane is going to have to take a hard look in the mirror.

If James Click turns the Rockies around, Astros fans should demand answers from Jim Crane

After leaving the Astros, Click was hired by the Blue Jays to be their vice president of baseball strategy. Given that Toronto is now battling the Mariners in the ALCS at the moment, while Houston is sitting at home watching, it already feels bad enough.

However, if Click gets the Rockies' job and makes a real difference in what is a dumpster fire of an organization, the optics of that with Astros fans would be terrible. Hiring Dana Brown hasn't been a disaster, even though it left like Brown's job was in jeopardy after this past season, but having the guy who was run out of town after a World Series win fixing one of the league's worst teams is going to raise some real questions (as it should).

Again, it is still early in the offseason, and we can't really make any assumptions about how well Click will do with another organization. However, the early returns from his time with the Blue Jays are already looking rough for Houston, and now the stage could be set for Click to really stick it to Crane for not investing in him a few years ago. Whether or not Crane notices or cares remains to be seen.

Eric Cole

I started my career writing about baseball covering the Atlanta Braves for SB Nation's Talking Chop back in 2015 which has since been renamed Battery Power. After years of writing for those fine folks, I made the decision to take over as Site Expert at House That Hank Built before becoming a full-time MLB Staff Writer for FanSided in 2023. Along the way, I have been a guest on multiple ESPN radio affiliates as well as 680 The Fan and 92.9 The Game to discuss Braves baseball and especially Braves prospects and was a long-time host on the Battery Power podcast. These days, I continue to write about the Braves as well as covering the Astros, Padres, and Angels with particular expertise with minor league coverage, the MLB Draft, and bashing Anthony Rendon when possible. When I am not writing about or talking about baseball (which is seldom), I am an avid baseball card collector (Maddux and Soroka being my primary personal collections) and I also collect shark teeth. All other sports are mostly dead to me as my Bills have broken my heart too many times.