Can Jim Crane Retain Justin Verlander Without a GM?

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane wants Justin Verlander to stick around next season. He's made that much very clear. 

"We're going to do our best to try to keep him," Crane told members of the media following his team's second World Series victory in the last six years. 

It's not going to be easy, however. Verlander is coming off of his third Cy Young campaign, and he'll be looking for a raise over the $25 million he made this past year. He will have no shortage of interested suitors. The bidding war could get intense.

The Astros, meanwhile, will be without their chief negotiator. General Manager James Click is no longer with the organization, and the team has yet to name his permanent replacement.

Front office executive Bill Firkus will be the point person for free agent negotiations this offseason, but he is still just an assistant GM, and a brand new one at that. He is being thrown right into the thick of it as Houston looks to defend their World Series title. 

Therefore, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that Crane himself is expected to play a big role in free agent talks this winter. In particular, he is said to be taking the lead in negotiations with Verlander, according to a report from ABC 13. 

In a recent press conference, the owner explained he would be "staying in the middle" of discussions with Verlander.

Crane seems to think his good relationship with the ace right-hander will work to his advantage. “I know him well, so we’ve been pretty candid," he explained. 

Crane will be up against some of the most experienced front office executives in the business. Teams like the Dodgers and the Mets are already rumored to be interested in Verlander. Both teams have huge payrolls to work with, and their top decision-makers – Andrew Friedman and Sandy Anderson, respectively – know how to get their man.

Thus, the Astros' owner will have his work cut out for him. Only time will tell if he has what it takes. 

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