Astros fire GM James Click

It was quite surprising to see the Houston Astros sign Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract last week. But if the Astros ink the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner to a mega-deal before Opening Day, that might actually cross the threshold from surprising to shocking. Bleacher Report's Surprise Landing Spots for Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell…

The dead season's body isn't even cold and we're talking about the offseason? You're damn right! When your team is good enough to get to game seven of the ALCS, it means they have already played deep into the offseason of most teams in baseball. We are less than four months from pitchers and catchers reporting. That stove is about to get hot and we…

A couple of late comebacks made Friday the most dramatic night of baseball's postseason so far. Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning and the Houston Astros, following another bench-clearing scuffle with the rival Texas Rangers, rallied for a wild 5-4 victory in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series. A few hours later in Phoenix,…

It's taken a couple of weeks, but the Boston Red Sox's search for Chaim Bloom's replacement is finally picking up steam. Several top candidates have been linked to the team in recent days, including former Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng and current Minnesota Twins GM Thad Levine. Another candidate who was rumored to be in consideration was officially…

Marwin Gonzalez is heading to Japan. On Wednesday, the utility player signed with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Friday that Gonzalez is getting $1.5 million in the deal. BUY YANKEES TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER The 33-year-old made his major league…

Last June, Michael Brantley left the Astros' lineup in name only. His influence inside the organization and on his teammate s is immeasurable, evident even when he takes time away, like after shoulder surgery in mid-July. He returned to Houston's clubhouse for its postseason run and gave a passionate speech following a loss in Game 3 of the World…

There are few more respected characters in the MLB than veteran Dusty Baker, and in 2022 the 73-year-old secured the first World Series title of his managerial career as he led the Houston Astros to a six-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this month. Many have subsequently speculated as to what the future might now hold for Baker, and…

Pity the poor Houston Astros. Now that Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander has left to sign with the New York Mets, the Astros starting pitching rotation must be in shambles. Wait, you mean the Astros still have the best 5-man rotation in baseball? At less money all told than the Mets will pay one Justin Verlander? This is like the time…

Pity the poor Houston Astros. Now that Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander has left to sign with the New York Mets, the Astros starting pitching rotation must be in shambles. Wait, you mean the Astros still have the best 5-man rotation in baseball? At less money all told than the Mets will pay one Justin Verlander? This is like the time…

Pity the poor Houston Astros. Now that Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander has left to sign with the New York Mets, the Astros starting pitching rotation must be in shambles. Wait, you mean the Astros still have the best 5-man rotation in baseball? At less money all told than the Mets will pay one Justin Verlander? This is like the time…

The Houston Astros may not have a general manager after parting ways with James Click a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn't mean they don't have capable people recommending additions to the ownership. Looking to increase their odds to repeat as World Series champions in 2023, the Astros signed first baseman Jose Abreu to a three-year deal worth…

When he introduced newest Astros slugger José Abreu on Tuesday, owner Jim Crane said he wasn't done with free agency and specifically mentioned being "in the mix" for Justin Verlander and Yuli Gurriel. If Gurriel were to return, it would be in a limited role behind Abreu, who was sitting immediately to Crane's left as he made the comments.…

The Houston Astros are now among those who have an outside chance of acquiring the 2022 American League MVP Aaron Judge. According to OddsChecker, the Astros have+1800 odds to land the services of the slugger who just launched 62 home runs last season. That 5.2-percent chance lands them 12th on the list of potential suitors just ahead of…

The Cardinals are pursuing free-agent catcher Willson Contreras and look like a potential landing spot for the former Cub. While the Astros and other are linked to Contreras, St. Louis is among teams at the forefront of talks. This would be a double blow to the Cubs, as St. Louis is their biggest rival. Oddly enough, the Cubs never made Contreras a…

Much has been made about the Houston Astros' culture behind the scenes over the last few days, since the departure of former Astros general manager James Click. There has been everything from snide, little drive by comments by some writers in free agency prediction columns to attempted nuclear bombs on Jim Crane's ownership style. In the end, none…

Well, the Yankees season is over once again. Another year of disappointment after the team has spent hundreds of millions to watch and expect this team to win more games than the previous year. Well, a sweep to the Houston Astros is not the way they wanted to end it. Once again, a team that had solid pitching, couldn't get it done on the hitting…

I cannot walk through my neighborhood without seeing an Astros shirt. Or an Astros hat. Or an Astros flag. Or a dog proudly wearing an Astros scarf. Have you been to the grocery store lately? If so, you've been seeing the same fall trend: a local Astros convention. Yordan Alvarez's super famous No. 44 is everywhere. Alex Bregman's No. 2 and Jose…

Fresh off his the first World Series title of his illustrious managerial career, Dusty Baker confirmed to Mark Berman of Houston's FOX 26 that he'll return to the team in 2023 (). A deal has not yet been finalized, but Baker tells Berman: "I'll be back, but we're working on it. It's as simple as that." USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported shortly…

For the second time in their history, and the second time in the last five years, the Houston Astros are World Series champions. It feels phenomenal to type that sentence. Despite the fact that they've made six straight American League Championship Series, this stuff still feels new and fun every single postseason. Winning the title at home was a…

Michael Brantley also has an expiring deal, which could shift Yordan Alvarez to left field full time. HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The joy of winning a World Series championship is irreplaceable, but the Houston Astros may have to do some replacing of their own in the coming months. As is customary every MLB offseason, a slew of players who won a world…

Fulfilling such enormous expectations feels impossible. Harper's attempt has included seven All-Star Games, two MVPs and a 13-year, $330 million contract. A World Series championship still eludes him - even after the Astros attempted to get him one. Four years ago, the Astros agreed in principle to acquire Harper from the Nationals a day before the…

Dusty Baker is expected to be invited back to manage the Houston Astros in 2023. But the future is uncertain for GM James Click, per The New York Post. A recent New York Post article states that owner Jim Crane has concerns about Click's methods. Crane reportedly wants to see less emphasis on analytics, while Click reportedly utilizes analytics on…

Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado embrace in the clubhouse, the 73-year-old baseball manager still chasing his first world championship pulling the catcher with orange hair into the hug. Ageless ace Justin Verlander sips an adult beverage at his locker. Relievers Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek sit next to each in front of their lockers, just sharing a…

It appears that Astros owner Jim Crane has some decisions, really one, to make. Manager Dusty Baker's contract is up at the end of this season. So is general manager James Click's contract. Baker and Click don't seem to see eye to eye on how this team is supposed to run. Baker is old school and flies by the seat of his pants. He trusts his gut.…

The baseball champions of the world gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday as the Houston Astros celebrated their 2022 World Series title with an entourage of lawmakers clad in blue and orange. After sweeping through the American League postseason, the Astros were down two games to one in the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies before…