After navigating a majority of the off-season without a general manager, the Houston Astros named former Atlanta Braves Vice President of Scouting Dana Brown as their next headman last week.
Brown has spent 33 years in baseball, first as a minor leaguer before jumping into scouting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1994 and steadily rising to Director of Amateur Scouting for the Montreal Expos in 2002. He would stay with the franchise throughout their relocation to Washington. After the 2009 season, he was named Special Assistant to the General Manager for former coworker Alex Anthopoulos with the Toronto Blue Jays. Brown and Anthopoulos would help Toronto return to the postseason in 2015 and soon thereafter the duo would head down to Atlanta.
There Brown served as the Vice President of Scouting, overseeing the drafting of 2022 National League Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II and Harris’ runner-up, pitcher Spencer Strider, among other players.
Unlike most newly hired general managers, Brown will take over a roster that is coming fresh off a World Series title and six straight American League Championship Series appearances. His background in scouting and player evaluation made him an appealing candidate for Houston, who looks to extend their dynasty into the foreseeable future with their young talent.
While in Atlanta, Brown witnessed firsthand an organization locking up their young stars early into their six years of team control, including the aforementioned Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider following their rookie seasons. Houston has no shortage of extension-ready stars, including Kyle Tucker, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and possibly World Series MVP Jeremy Pena.
Not often do you see a team with the success Houston has had be on their third GM in seven years. However, both of the previous men that controlled the Astros roster led them to a World Series title – will Brown be next?
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