Marlins firing respected former Astros scout presents helpful reunion opportunity

For all of the strengths the Houston Astros have as an organization, one area that could use some real work is amateur talent acquisition. Hiring Dana Brown as their general manager was a strong start towards this end, given his background as a scouting director, but building a strong foundation when it comes to evaluating amateur talent requires more than just one man, and the Astros' farm system currently reflects an organization still trying to find its way again.

Houston's approach to the international free agent market, in particular, requires focus and rededication. It has been a while since Houston has been a big player when it comes to international signings, beyond the fortuitous addition of Luis Baez in 2022, thanks in large part to the smaller international bonus pools that come with high finishes each year. However, the Astros have also failed to hit much on even middle tier signings, and this year, they were one of the teams that was most impacted by age fraud in the Dominican Republic.

Fortunately, an opportunity to reunite with a familiar face may have just presented itself, as it was reported on Monday that the Marlins were inexplicably parting ways with former Astros exec Oz Ocampo as a part of sweeping changes to their front office.

The Astros need to reunite with Oz Ocampo to fortify their player development program

While a new front office cleaning house to bring in their own people isn't overly surprising, Miami was cutting bait with Ocampo definitely raised a number of eyebrows. The Marlins have done well to add talent in recent years, especially on the pitching side, and Ocampo is widely considered to be one of the best evaluators of international talent out there. During his time with Houston, Ocampo played a role in signing Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Jose Urquidy, and Ronel Blanco, among others. Those players were all imported at unexpectedly inexpensive rates, impressive given the resulting talent.

Miami's rationale for cleaning out their front office now was ostensibly to allow those execs they are letting go to have time to find jobs elsewhere. The Astros need to take that cue and bring Ocampo back in some capacity. Guys with the connections and proven ability that Ocampo possesses on the amateur side would be a massive boon to Houston's long-term prospects.

Whether or not they will actually do so is a different matter altogether. Given that Ocampo was an assistant GM with the Marlins, it is likely that he would want a position at a similar level with his new team, and that would mean that the Astros may have to cut ties with a current exec. On top of that awkwardness, the Astros already have a bit of a power struggle in their front office, and one wonders if owner Jim Crane would willingly bring in another strong voice that could impede his meddling ways.

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