Following the sign-stealing scandal, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane parted ways with general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch. Adding Dusty Baker was a safe choice given his experience and success in the position, but for manning the front office, James Click was nabbed from Tampa Bay.
Click wasn't well known by baseball fans, but after Luhnow's exit, his entrance was followed with praise of his analytical mind after he had helped create Baseball Prospectus and propelled a Rays franchise to a stretch of consistent postseason births.
But as the Houston Astros came up short the AL Pennant in 2020, then failed to win the World Series a year later, Click hasn't made major splashes via trade or free agency. His moves aren't flashy compared to Luhnow's acquisitions of Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke.
The Astros are in the midst of a push for a second World Series title in six years, but the future of the general manager position could see a new face this offseason, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
"Jim Crane is a demanding owner. Some would say perhaps a difficult owner," Rosenthal said on The Athletic Baseball Show. "If I'm not mistaken, Click's contract is up. I don't know that for a fact but it should be around that time.
"And that is at least something where from my understanding there could be some maneuvering if the Astros somehow sputter in the playoffs, which frankly I don't expect."
Some of Click's most impressive moves have come on a lower level: acquiring Yainer Diaz from Cleveland with Phil Maton, signing Ryne Stanek to a cheap contract before the 2021 season and acquiring both Trey Mancini and Christian Vázquez at this year's trade deadline.
While Michael Brantley's re-signing could be credited to Click, Crane was the one to step in and finalize the offer before Brantley walked and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
But without first- and second-round picks for two summers, it was apparent an already depleted farm system hasn't enticed many trade partners, making Click's job harder as he looked to preserve a future for the franchise.
Click said the Astros were going to be aggressive at the 2022 trade deadline. The club didn't make move for big name players as many expected, with switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell on the market, but Click still bolstered holes in the roster with Mancini and Vázquez. The Astros' GM simply has not had the same rich system to work with as Luhnow.
If Houston misses out on a sixth-straight American League Championship birth, Crane could seek a replacement. Hinch has shut down any questions about possibly taking a general manager opening, but from Crane's previous targets, the two could discuss a reunion in some capacity this offseason.
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