Ranking the Astros GM Candidates and Why Kleine Comes First

The Houston Astros have been without a general manager since parting ways with Dana Brown on Aug. 24, and the search is finally close to the finish line. Houston wants someone in place before the GM Meetings begin Nov. 10 in Las Vegas. Jim Crane already set the standard. He suggested he’d look for a GM from a club that won with a low payroll, so that’s how I’m ranking the field.

Kleine, the Brewers’ assistant GM, is the reported top target, and he should be. He’s 40, in his 20th season with Milwaukee, and his focus areas read like Houston’s offseason to-do list: roster construction, financial planning, contract negotiation and arbitration. He also comes from the club that just won the World Series after a 103-win season. Even better, he interned in the Astros’ media relations department back in 2007.

Barfield, a White Sox assistant GM, grew up in the Houston area and played in the majors before moving into scouting and player development. He helped oversee Chicago’s 2026 turnaround, and that same White Sox team swept Houston in the Wild Card Series. A farm system that needs help could use his background.

Flores, 51, is a former reliever who won a ring with St. Louis in 2006. He later founded a video-scouting company that up to a third of the league used, and he’s spent nine years as a Cardinals assistant GM.

Kevin Ibach has 14 seasons with the Rays and fits Crane’s low-payroll standard. Ben Sestanovich has been a Braves assistant GM since 2019, and Scott Sharp has spent two decades with the Royals. All three are solid, but there’s less public information on what each would bring.

Rizzo is the biggest name here. He ran Washington for 17 seasons and beat Houston in the 2019 World Series. But he’s 65, and the Nationals haven’t had a winning season since that title. Sydney broke down his interview with the club, and I get the appeal. Hiring him would still feel like looking backward.

Assistant GMs Gavin Dickey and Charles Cook both interviewed. I respect the continuity, but this front office just produced an 81-81 team. The club needs fresh eyes.

Kleine is my pick, and it sounds like Crane agrees. Once the hire is official, the new GM’s first big call is the next manager, on top of everything else he inherits. Nov. 10 is the target, and the clock is running.

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