The Houston Astros have cast a wide net in their search for a new general manager, considering a slate of rising executives from external clubs alongside internal assistant general managers who previously worked under Dana Brown.
The leading candidate for the position appears to be Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine. Kleine traveled to Houston recently and was seen alongside Astros owner Jim Crane at the Houston Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 induction ceremony, an event that honored Hall of Fame pitcher Billy Wagner. Crane and Kleine appeared together in a video shared on social media by Houston’s CBS affiliate.
Kleine, 40, has spent two decades with the Brewers organization, which recently claimed a National League pennant, and was elevated to assistant general manager on November 1, 2023. His foundational baseball operations experience began when he interned in the Astros’ media relations department in 2007. Over his tenure in Milwaukee, Kleine has held roles including associate scout, amateur scouting intern, baseball operations assistant, coordinator of advance scouting and baseball contracts, manager of baseball operations, director of baseball operations, and vice president of baseball operations.
In his current role with the Brewers, Kleine focuses on roster construction, Major League transactions, financial planning, player evaluation, contract negotiation, staffing, procedural compliance, and management of the club’s salary arbitration practice.
Alongside the external frontrunner, internal candidates have also advanced through the interview process. Astros assistant general managers Gavin Dickey and Charles Cook have both interviewed for the vacancy. Dickey joined the organization as a scout in 2011, advanced to oversee the Minor Leagues, and was promoted to assistant general manager three years ago. Cook, a Yale University graduate, entered the franchise as a baseball operations apprentice in 2016 and earned a promotion to assistant general manager four years ago.
The search extends further across the league, with several other high-ranking executives drawing serious interest from the franchise. That group includes Chicago White Sox assistant general manager Josh Barfield, who grew up in Houston; Kansas City Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp; Atlanta Braves assistant general manager Ben Sestanovich; and St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager Randy Flores, a former Major League pitcher.
Additionally, Kevin Ibach of the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays has emerged as a candidate. Ibach has spent 14 seasons with the Rays organization and was promoted to vice president and assistant general manager three years ago. The Astros have previously drawn executive talent from Tampa Bay, having hired James Click as general manager prior to the 2020 season.
Owner Jim Crane has a history of targeting front office personnel from successful organizations since purchasing the franchise in 2011. Shortly after taking ownership, Crane hired Jeff Luhnow as general manager and brought in executives such as Mike Elias, currently the president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles, from the St. Louis Cardinals.
