Houston Astros GM Surprisingly Listed as Hot Seat Candidate

The general manager of the Houston Astros may be on the hot seat if they don't achieve high-end success this year.

Aug 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown speaks with media before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros decided to get aggressive ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline, with their big move being the trade to acquire starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from the Toronto Blue Jays.

While Kikuchi was an important pickup, fans and the media were shocked about how much general manager Dana Brown gave up to get him.

Kikuchi is on an expiring contract and the Astros traded Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido, and Will Wagner for him.

It's a move that could go down as a big win if Houston can make a serious run down the stretch of the regular season and during the playoffs, but if they come up short it will be a massive bust.

With that move and the overall situation Houston finds themselves in, Brown could be on the hot seat as result.

Fox Sports recently took a look at the top MLB front office execs who are under pressure to win now. Brown was firmly on that list.

"Anything is possible for the members of the Astros front office after owner Jim Crane ended his three-year partnership with former general manager James Click following the Astros' 2022 World Series championship. Crane's unpredictable willingness to spend coupled with his front-office meddling has long put his GMs in difficult situations. It's fair to wonder whether Brown's job is safe if the Astros don't win the pennant, let alone miss the playoffs entirely."

Currently, the Astros are 57-54 and are one game behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West division race. They are five games back in the AL Wild Card race as well.

Should Houston end up missing the playoffs, there is a decent chance that ownership could look to make a move. Brown is far from being safe when it comes to job security.

Looking ahead to the MLB offseason, the Astros will have plenty of tough decisions to make.

Justin Verlander and Alex Bregman are set to become free agents. Kyle Tucker is someone could be on the trade market considering their payroll situation. There are a lot of things the front office will have to navigate.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see how the team finishes out the season.

If they are unable to get into the playoffs, the front office could go through an overhaul.