Astros Hire Dana Brown as New GM After James Click's Offseason Exit

The Houston Astros announced Thursday they have hired Dana Brown as their general manager.

"We are excited to have Dana join our organization," team owner Jim Crane said. "He brings championship-caliber experience to our team and is the right fit for us to continue to deliver a winning franchise on and off the field. We welcome Dana and his family to the Astros family."

Brown replaces James Click, whose contract with the Astros expired following the 2022 World Series triumph. Brown was the Atlanta Braves' vice president of scouting for the last four years.

Homegrown talent has been a pillar of Atlanta's recent success. Although the process began before Brown's arrival, he ensured the pipeline continued to flow.

In his first year with Atlanta, the Braves selected Michael Harris II in the third round of the 2019 MLB draft. In 2020, they snagged Spencer Strider with a fourth-round pick. The pair finished first and second, respectively, in 2022 National League Rookie of the Year voting.

Vaughn Grissom, another 2019 draftee, made his MLB debut at 21 last season and had a .291/.353/.440 slash line in 156 plate appearances.

Given his experience, Brown is an obvious fit for Houston, which has leaned on its farm system while making a handful of major acquisitions to fill out the roster.

The Astros haven't had a threadbare budget as they've risen to the top of baseball, but they haven't been afraid to lose their best players to free agency either. George Springer, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Correa have left as free agents, yet it has done little to hurt the team on the field.

Brown's hiring will put to bed—at least for the time being—rumors that link Houston with a move for former assistant general manager David Stearns.

Stearns stepped down as the Milwaukee Brewers' president of baseball operations in October. On Tuesday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Crane was "intrigued by the idea of bringing him back to Houston."

Perhaps a reunion with Stearns will happen down the line. For now, Brown will be tasked with running the Astros front office.