Houston Astros Remain in Mix to Sign Highly Coveted MLB Executive
The race is officially on for MLB's second-most coveted free agent, after Shohei Ohtani of course.
David Stearns will be the hottest name on the market for teams looking for a new President of Baseball Operations. The Milwaukee Brewers executive will be looking for a new home, something he has been been able to officially explore since Aug. 1.
Most reports have the New York Mets as the leading candidate to land Stearns and his services. It makes sense, promising farm system, strong MLB talent and an owner willing to go in year after year.
But the Houston Astros have reportedly entered the race for Stearns, one that they currently remain in according to The Athletic.
However the way forward for such a move will take some more clarity.
The Astros hired Dana Brown to be their general manager this past offseason. Granted, the hiring came after owner Jim Crane tried to player president of baseball ops in free agency.
Pairing Stearns with Brown would create some power struggle. But Stearns would undoubtedly lead the team building and free agency decisions. Meanwhile, that would leave Brown to do his magic with extensions and day-to-day operations of the team.
A pairing like Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld in Philadelphia could be on the horizon.
Still it's murky.
Regardless, Houston looks poised to once again walk into the postseason and make some noise. The roster is talented enough to win another World Series. That same roster is getting older, has players that need to be extended and potentially will need some work solidifying it for the next five years.
Stearns and Brown could usher in a new window of contention before the current one even closes. That would be the dream scenario.
Whether or not it could work is an entirely different question.
