The Houston Astros fired general manager Dana Brown on Monday with 31 games left in the regular season, an almost unprecedented mid-pennant-race dismissal of a team that is tied for first place.
Brown had been in the final year of his contract.
Owner Jim Crane made the call after the Astros went 3-6 in a nine-game homestand against the Mariners, Angels and Athletics, three sub-.500 teams, and fell below .500 at 65-66. The final straw was Sunday's 7-6 collapse against Oakland, in which Houston blew a 6-0 lead.
Brown took over in January 2023 after the departure of James Click and quickly oversaw the decline of the dynasty that had defined the Astros' decade.
Kyle Tucker left for the Cubs. Alex Bregman signed with the Red Sox. Framber Valdez departed. Jeremy Peña remains unsigned.
The $54 million Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai signed last winter has been a bust with a 6.47 ERA. Brown refused to add significant pitching help at the August 3 deadline.
The roster reflects years of decisions the organization has decided it can no longer defend.
Jeff Bagwell, Hall of Famer, beloved Astro, senior advisor, will assume an elevated role. Three assistant GMs will handle operations collectively. Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations himself through the search.