The Astros have received permission to interview Tampa Bay Rays general manager

If I were in his position, I'd at least want to see what I'd be able to do with more resources. Tampa's been in the bottom 10 (and usually bottom 2) in payroll for the last decade.

 

#1 He would get a hefty pay raise in Houston.

#2 He grew up in Houston, his family is in Houston, and during the off season still spends a great deal of time.

#3 He is and has been an Astros fan.

#4 He would have greater financial resources in Houston, not having to compete with a $40,000 payroll.

#5 He would be in a division w/o NY and BOS.

#6 Fan support would not be an issue.

...... I do not think he will leave the Rays based on the fact that he is considered a very loyal person.... but to act like there is no reason for him to be interested in the Astros job is silly.

 

Fans overemphasize the advantage/disadvantages of payroll. It took 3 years to right the ship, but once he got it going he's competed in 3 out of 4 years.

 

You don't know what his current salary is or what sort of ownership options he's been promised in Tampa. People used to say this about Billy Beane and then years later we found out he was making more than we thought and ended up with ownership stakes in the A's.

I feel like I hear this about NBA players a lot...

I don't doubt that he grew up an Astros fan if that's what you say, but do you really think that his personal fandom is that big of a factor? Maybe it is, but I doubt it. He's a professional.

This is legit. I could see it being tempting, but we also don't know really what the future payrolls of the Astros will be and we don't know what future payrolls he's been promised in Tampa.

Again, legit.

I don't think this has much impact on him. He's the GM. If the team is profitable (which it is) and he's getting paid well (which he probably is) and they are winning (which they are) why should he care if they sell out?

Let me rephrase, there are "reasons" but they don't seem to be all that special to me and don't outweigh the reasons to stay most likely. The biggest reason AGAINST taking the Astros being the obvious fact that they are a complete rebuild. From almost scratch. Barren major league talent, weak minor league talent almost entirely devoid of high end prospects, weak organizational structure...On top of that an ownership mandate to cut major league salaries down and the new CBA limiting spending in the draft and International Free Agency.

Turning around the Astros in the new CBA will be really tough unless they do a bang up job in the draft and hit on a lot of players. Even then we are talking multiple years of rebuilding.

 

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/spo...n-not-a-part-of-astros'-process#ixzz1fiCBMY00

 

Again, doesn't even meet with us. He at least met with the Angels even though he didn't take the job.

This is very worrisome. Any candidate you could get the least bit excited about has told us to **** off. Nevermind that they might have turned down the job anyway, but we're so unappealing that they won't even hear our offer.

 

Swing and a mufunckin miss.

 

I think we are going to be in a Kansas City Royals-type position for many years.

I think most of the Assistant GMs get the sense that things are so bleak here that they won't be around to see the fruits of their labor.

I hope I'm wrong, but I wouldn't be shocked to see 10+ years of non-contending baseball.

 

The thing about teams like the Royals are perpetually bad is because they can't afford to keep whatever talent they develop. They develop young talent and then the talent leaves as free agents when they get offers KC can't match. The Astros are bad because of bad personnel decisions and neglect of the farm system, not an unwillingness to re-sign players or bring in free agents. The Astros are not the Royals or the Pirates.

 

God, it's like we're being blackballed. I heard Kim Ng didn't want to interview because she didn't want to be our "token minority" candidate. Could that be a result of Crane's history?

 

If she interviewed, she might get the job by default if no one else is willing to interview...

 

Well, with Friedman out of the picture, I don't have to be torn about my bitterness towards the Stros. I can plunge full steam ahead with the bitter outlook

 

What's really sad is that...and I know I'm beating a dead horse here... we wouldn't even be having these discussions if McClane hadn't pushed Ryan away. Absolutely unbelievable.

 

Not true. The Royals have been bad because they've been terrible at developing good major league players until just recently. They've been good at getting 1-2 good players on their roster at a time filled with a bunch of other guys who had 0 plate discipline.

They've been run horribly, spending money on free agents who couldn't make an impact and then refusing to trade them. (hmmmm....)

I can remember the Royals having Reggie Sanders at the end of his career and refusing to trade him unless they got the Yankees best pitching prospect. It's things like that which lead to teams with a lack of talent depth being unable to acquire the depth they need.

 

Good. We'll get Hunsicker. Shoutout MattJ on facebook.

 

Suck it Crane.

Looks like my ALstros schadenfreude will be getting a workout over the near term.

I hear the Rangers have a new farm director who might be interested in the job. :grin:

 

I'll interview...

 

This is so pathetically comical, the trainwreck is pretty entertaining to watch from a distance.

 

The Astros received...the finger

 

Wait, I think that i found a picture of Crane: