4 Worst Moves of Dana Brown's Tenure as Astros GM

Ranking the biggest whiffs from Dana Brown's three and a half years as general manager of the Houston Astros.

Former Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown. Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dana Brown is out as general manager of the Houston Astros.

The somewhat surprising news that Brown and the Astros had mutually decided to part ways came this past Monday, as the club battled in a tight divisional race atop the AL West.

Even in spite of speculation that owner Jim Crane wanted to avoid paying Brown during an anticipated potential lockout, Houston's top executive certainly had an uneven three-year tenure at the helm.

Brown assumed an unusually lofty role upon first being hired as GM in January of 2023, taking the reins of the defending World Series champions after Houston failed to come to terms on a new contract with predecessor Jim Click.

Brown would oversee two division titles, although the team would advance no further than the ALCS in any of his three seasons in charge and would miss the playoffs entirely in 2025.

To be fair, there were positives from Brown's tenure, such as reacquiring Justin Verlander and getting a strong package in the Kyle Tucker trade. But fairly or not, his legacy will likely be tied to overseeing the Astros' fall-off after being a 106-win World Series champion in 2022.

Here are Houston's four worst moves on Brown's watch:

4. Tatsuya Imai Signing

Houston Astros starter Tatsuya Imai. Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In an offseason that was low on big ticket free agent signings, the Astros' biggest deal was handed out to Japanese import Tatsuya Imai, who was brought over from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) on a three-year, $54 million contract in hopes of bolstering a rotation that lost Framber Valdez.

After a shaky start to his MLB career, Imai has seen encouraging signs of incremental improvement (if you ignore July, that is) and could be poised for big things in 2027 after acclimating to life stateside.

However, it's hard to ignore his 5.32 ERA and 1.463 WHIP or his recent demotion to the bullpen, particularly as Houston's second-highest-paid starter after the also-disappointing Cristian Javier.

3. Mike Burrows Trade

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Burrows. Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Apart from an under-the-radar waiver wire pick-up of Peter Lambert, Brown generally mishandled the Astros' rotation this past winter. Case and point, the acquisition of Mike Burrows from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-way deal in exchange for Jacob Melton and pitching prospect Anderson Brito.

Initially, it looked as though Brown may have landed a blossoming and controllable front line starter, but things have not turned out that way for Burrows to date. Of the 109 pitchers to have started at least 17 games this season, only six boast a higher ERA than his 5.99 mark to date.

Conversely, Melton holds a .924 OPS at Triple-A Durham and ranks as the Tampa Bay Rays' No. 8 prospect, while Anderson Brito is showing promising flashes in High-A ball. Burrows is only 26 and carries years of control, but he'll need to regroup in a hurry after a rough 2026.

2. Yusei Kikuchi Trade

Former Houston Astros pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

You could make a fair argument that acquiring Yusei Kikichi ahead of the 2024 trade deadline ranks among Brown's best moves. After all, he went 5-1 down the stretch for Houston with a 2.70 ERA, with the club remarkably winning each of his first nine trips to the mound.

But all the Astros had to show for it was a quick, two-and-done postseason loss in the wild card round, where Kikuchi didn't even get a chance to pitch. And he didn't come cheap, either, being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays for top prospects Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner. Brown even doubled down on a costly deal by re-acquiring Loperfido for Jesús Sánchez before this season.

All told, Brown added 10 starts of Kikuchi, who bolted for the division rival Los Angeles Angels in free agency, for Bloss, Wagner and Sánchez. Sure, none of the outgoing pieces have broken through just yet, but that is an awful lot of prospect capital for a short-term rental.

1. Mauricio Dubón Trade

Former Houston Astros utilityman Mauricio Dubon. Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You might not think that losing a light-hitting utilityman would be all that costly, but the versatility, defense and glue guy qualities provided by Mauricio Dubón were always going to be difficult to replicate.

Dubón was traded to the Atlanta Braves in late 2025 in exchange for Nick Allen, a move aimed at getting younger while also shedding some salary. Those cost savings, however, came at the expense of a two-time Gold Glove winner and 2022 World Series champion who is precisely the type of player that every contender needs.

In Atlanta, Dubón now boasts a career-best 10 home runs and 63 RBI while continuing to flash an impressive glove and becoming a fan favorite for another playoff-bound franchise.

Brown wasn't in the easiest position, being tasked with a mandate of cutting costs while still carrying World Series expectations. Still, some of these moves shed light on how he inherited a championship roster that, in 2026, is now struggling to finish above .500.