After the Houston Astros blew a huge six-run lead to the last-place Athletics on Sunday, August 23, the team made a massive change. On Monday, they fired General Manager Dana Brown, ending a rocky run that started in January 2023.
Brown’s contract was already set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. The Astros organization has built a culture where simply contending is never enough and championships and deep playoff runs are expected. Letting a divisional race slip away in late August was the final straw for an ownership group and city that expects perfection.
The Astros are currently one game under .500 and are tied for first place in a weak AL West. After nearly a decade of AL West dominance, owner Jim Crane has decided to make a shakeup as the team struggles. A group of assistant GMs and Hall-of-Famer former-Astro, Jeff Bagwell, will take over his duties for now. To understand why this happened, we need to look past Sunday’s bad loss and look at the bigger issues with the team’s roster.
A Quiet Trade Deadline
The main reason for Houston’s recent slump was a poor Trade Deadline. Brown only made one meaningful move. He traded young pitcher Spencer Arrighetti to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Daulton Varsho. While Varsho is great on defense, he has struggled offensively and trading away a starter when the team needed pitching depth was a big mistake.
Brown said that trading for pitchers was simply too expensive.
Dana Brown said the club came close to a couple of deals for a pitcher, but the price was too high.
“Getting Wesneski back and Blanco back and the way they’re off to a pretty good start to their rehabs, I feel like that, in itself, is a trade acquisition,” he said.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 4, 2026
For a team that is historically great at finding hidden pitching talent, coming up empty-handed was a major failure. Other front offices managed to find value on the margins. Houston instead sat on their hands.
3May 25, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai (45) calls for the ball during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Pitching Problems and Costly Contracts
Houston used to be famous for developing amazing pitchers. Under Brown that pipeline dried up.
Instead of building from within, the front office spent big money on risky contracts. Cristian Javier was given a five-year, $64 million deal in 2023. This past offseason, Tatsuya Imai signed a $54 million, three-year contract. Both of these players have an ERA above five, with Imai struggling so heavily that he was moved to the bullpen.
When a front office makes poor financial decisions, it hurts the teams flexibility for years to come. This is what happened to Brown. Because of these expensive contracts on risky pitchers, the team has no leverage to make trades.
3Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman bats against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park, May 14, 2025.
Losing Star Hitters
While the pitching staff fell apart and was handed risky contracts, the team lost its everyday elite hitters. Brown was supposed to sign the team’s star players to long-term team-friendly contracts. Instead, the opposite happened.
Alex Bregman left for the Boston Red Sox in free agency after the 2024 season. Jeremy Peña still does not have a long term deal.
Brown’s best decision was trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith. Paredes and Smith have been bright spots throughout a disappointing season and Wesneski has a decent 4.23 ERA.
3Oct 27, 2021; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros former player Jeff Bagwell before game two of the 2021 World Series against the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
What Happens Next?
With just 31 games left in the season, the Astros are trying to win their division without a GM. The new leaders look to salvage this season and turn it into a Cinderella run.
For a team that used to be the smartest in baseball, Brown’s exit is a tough lesson. The upcoming winter will require a complete overhaul of how the organization evaluates talent and dishes out contracts.