From World Series Champion to Astros GM: Meet Randy Flores

The Houston Astros have a new general manager, Randy Flores. The former St. Louis Cardinals assistant general manager is now taking over Houston's front office. So, what do we know about him?

Flores, 51, joined the Cardinals as director of scouting in 2015 and became assistant general manager in 2018.

The former lefty was drafted by the Yankees in 1997 out of USC. He pitched parts of eight seasons for the Rangers , Rockies, Cardinals, and Twins, with a 4.61 ERA over 250 innings. 

His biggest moment, however, came in October 2006, when he threw 5⅔ scoreless postseason innings and the Cardinals won the World Series. He knows what it takes to win a World Series on the field. 

He carried that experience over to the other side of the game, where he built an impressive scouting record.

He found Tommy Edman in the sixth round and Lars Nootbaar in the eighth. His other picks include Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Dylan Carlson, and Brendan Donovan, plus Zac Gallen, who became an All-Star after St. Louis traded him, according to USA Today.

Flores has a pretty ironic connection to the Astros. He took over the Cardinals' scouting department after Chris Correa was fired for hacking into Houston's scouting and personnel database back in 2013 and 2014. Correa was later sentenced to 46 months in prison. Now, Flores is working for the Astros. And in case anyone was wondering, Chris Correa has no relation to Carlos Correa.

So, why did the Astros choose him?

In a way, Flores wasn't exactly the name everyone expected. Matt Kleine was reported as Houston's top target, but he had just signed a contract extension with Milwaukee. That said, Houston went in a different direction and hired Flores. Jim Crane was thoroughly impressed by Flores and his time with the Cardinals, per MLB Trade Rumors.

With more than a decade of scouting and front-office experience, plus a track record of finding talent in the later rounds, Flores now has the chance to shape an entire roster.

What is next?

The first deadline he faces is the November 20 tender deadline. Free agency opens Monday, and the GM meetings are scheduled for next week in Las Vegas.

Flores will also have to help find Houston's next manager after the organization decided not to renew Joe Espada's contract. Espada finished his tenure with a 256-229 record and two AL West titles, but the Astros went 0-4 in the postseason under his leadership. Houston was ready for a change, and Flores is the first step in a new direction.

With Flores becoming Crane's fourth general manager since taking ownership in 2011, there is a lot riding on this hire.

In my opinion, Flores is an interesting choice for Houston. His scouting experience speaks for itself, but now we'll have to see whether he can turn that experience into success as a general manager.