Houston can now turn their attention to Spring Training
Astros fill vacant GM position with James Click
Feb 3, 2020, 7:31 pm
Houston can now turn their attention to Spring Training
Jim Crane has now filled both positions resulting from his firings this offseason
After already filling A.J. Hinch's manager position by hiring Dusty Baker, Jim Crane and the Astros completed their search for a new GM to replace Jeff Luhnow on Monday by hiring James Click, former VP of baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The #Astros have announced James Click will be their new GM. Previously VP of baseball operations for #Rays. Graduate of Yale.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 4, 2020
After interviewing several candidates, the Astros ultimately landed on Click, who was with the Rays since 2006, starting as a coordinator of baseball operations before working his way up to Vice President of the team's baseball operations in November 2016. With such a strong background, including being a Yale graduate and coming from a respected front office, Click was a strong and natural choice for Crane, who had a quick turnaround to fill the position.
However, Click will undoubtedly face the challenge of living up to his predecessor, Luhnow, who did much to advance the Astros in recent years despite the now tainted history. With the manager and GM positions filled, the Astros can now turn the page to Spring Training, which kicks off with pitchers and catchers reporting on February 11th.
The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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