The Astros may have found their next general manager. Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine is Houston’s top choice for the job, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported Thursday morning, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
A deal to officially hire Kleine has not been agreed upon yet, per the report. The Astros have not made an announcement.
Who Is Matt Kleine?
Kleine, 40, is in his 20th season with the Brewers, according to MLB.com. Milwaukee hired him as an associate scout in 2007, and he worked his way up to assistant general manager, a promotion that came on Nov. 1, 2023. His areas of focus include roster construction, major league transactions, player evaluation and contract negotiation, and he oversees the Brewers’ salary arbitration work.
He already has a Houston connection. Kleine interned in the Astros’ media relations department in 2007. Earlier this month, he appeared with Astros owner Jim Crane at the Houston Sports Hall of Fame induction, per MLB.com. Sports Illustrated’s Astros On SI reported the two walked the red carpet together at the Oct. 13 event.
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Fresh Off a World Series Title
The timing stands out. Kleine’s Brewers won the World Series on Wednesday night, beating the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 for the first championship in franchise history. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 103 games in the regular season.
MLB Trade Rumors noted that Crane has said he wants to find his next GM from a club that wins with a low payroll, and the Brewers are a prime example. They have made the postseason in eight of the past nine seasons with a payroll that usually sits in the bottom third of the league.
The Rest of the Search
The Astros have been without a GM since Dana Brown and the club parted ways Aug. 24. The report comes just days after former Nationals GM Mike Rizzo interviewed for the job earlier this week. Rizzo interviewed in Houston on Monday and was scheduled to meet with Crane at Daikin Park on Tuesday, according to USA TODAY Sports and MLB.com. Other candidates tied to the job include Rays assistant GM Kevin Ibach, White Sox assistant GM Josh Barfield, Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores, Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp and Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich. Rome also reported that Brewers assistant GM Matt Klentak drew interest but removed himself from consideration earlier this month.
For more, see our full rundown of the Astros GM search.
What’s Next
Houston has aimed to have a GM in place before the General Managers Meetings begin Nov. 10 in Las Vegas. Once that hire is made, the club will turn to finding a new manager after deciding not to renew Joe Espada’s contract. LFG Houston will update this story as it develops.
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