HOUSTON – According to Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, the team will address the open field manager job before they move on to hiring a general manager. Currently, Crane is working with the remaining front-office leadership group to fill the duties of fired GM Jeff Luhnow.
During interviews Friday night at the Astros Diamond Dreams Gala, Crane said he would start interviewing candidates for the general manager position next week. It’s very late in the game for a GM hire, and Crane has mentioned internal candidates will get interviews.
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Here’s a look at some possibilities for the Astros GM opening:
THE INTERNAL CANDIDATE
Pete Putila - Astros Assistant GM/Director of Player Development
Putila, 30, has worked for the Astros since 2011, starting out as an intern. He’s very young and works in player development, something that has been an extreme success for the Astros in recent seasons. Putila has done various things in the organization, including working with the farm system and video review.
If Crane thinks he likes the team’s organizational structure and wants to stay in-house, Putila is a possibility.
THE EXTERNAL CANDIDATES
One thing we can tell you - it won’t be a current MLB GM. It’s far too late in the game to poach another team’s general manager, and if the Astros decide to hire from outside the team’s organization, they’ll have to go with assistants or with someone with GM experience, who is not currently working as a GM.
A report from CBS Sports brought up these names:
- Matt Arnold, Brewers Asst. GM
- Josh Byrnes, Dodgers VP of Baseball Operations
- Jared Porter or Amiel Sawdaye, Diamondbacks Asst. GMs
- Peter Bendix, Rays Vice President
