Houston, Texas: Astros Hire Randy Flores as General Manager

The Houston Astros announced on Friday, October 30, that Randy Flores is their new general manager. Flores, 51, spent the last 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and becomes the 15th general manager in Astros history.

Flores joined the Cardinals front office as director of scouting in 2015 and was promoted to assistant general manager after the 2018 season, serving as assistant general manager of amateur and pro acquisition. USA TODAY reported that draft picks credited to his scouting work in St. Louis include Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn, Dylan Carlson and Brendan Donovan.

"I am excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity," Flores said in the club statement. "The Astros have a long winning tradition under Jim Crane and I look forward to contributing to the success. I want to thank the Cardinals organization for the opportunities and support that made this next chapter possible. My family and I are excited to make Houston home."

Owner Jim Crane said Flores had a huge impact on the Cardinals over the last 10 seasons and that the club was thoroughly impressed with his background in scouting and player acquisition during the interview process. Flores will be introduced at a news conference on Monday morning at Daikin Park.

The search he replaces, and the one he runs next

Flores replaces Dana Brown. The Astros and Brown parted ways on August 24, and three assistant general managers and Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, a special adviser, oversaw baseball operations for the rest of the season. Brown had served as general manager since January 2023 and won two division titles. Reports in the days before the hire had Milwaukee assistant general manager Matt Kleine as a leading candidate, but Kleine had signed an extension with the Brewers.

The first hire Flores must make is a manager. The Astros did not renew manager Joe Espada's contract on October 14, after Houston was swept by the Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card Series. Espada went 256-229 in three seasons with two American League West titles, according to USA TODAY. The timing is tight: free agency opens Monday, and the general manager meetings follow the next week in Las Vegas.

The team he inherits

Houston went 81-81 and still won the American League West for the fifth time in six years, becoming the first club without a winning record to reach the playoffs in a non-shortened season, according to the Associated Press report carried by TSN. It was the Astros' ninth playoff trip in 10 seasons. The club won the World Series in 2017 and 2022.

Before the front office, Flores pitched. The left-hander was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1997 out of USC, where his 42 wins are a school record, USA TODAY reported. He pitched parts of eight seasons for Texas, Colorado, St. Louis and Minnesota, going 11-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 350 appearances, and threw scoreless relief innings in the 2006 postseason as the Cardinals won the World Series.