HOUSTON – The Houston Astros announced Monday that James Click has been named the new general manager of the franchise after previous GM, Jeff Lunhow, was fired following a Major League Baseball investigation into cheating accusations.
Click, 42, becomes the thirteenth general manager in franchise history. He previously worked as the vice president of Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays for three seasons from 2017 to 2019.
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“Click’s career with Tampa Bay spanned 14 years, originally joining the club as a Coordinator of Baseball Operations in 2006,” the team wrote in a press release Monday. “Since then, he also served as the Rays Director of Baseball Research and Development and later Director of Baseball Operations.”
A Durham, North Carolina native, Click graduated from Yale University and wrote for Baseball Prospectus for several years before joining the Rays, the team wrote.
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“James has had an impressive career,” Astros owner Jim Crane said in the press release. “He is a respected leader who has progressed in this game across all aspects of Baseball Operations and he has built great relationships with both front office and clubhouse personnel."
Click said in the release that he was excited to join the Astros.
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“The Astros are a progressive and innovative organization with a deeply talented group in the front office. I am grateful to Jim Crane and the Astros for giving me this opportunity to help lead this team to more championships,” Click said.
Last week, the team announced baseball veteran Dusty Baker was going to be the new manager of the team after former manager, A.J. Hinch was also fired.
Crane will hold a press conference Tuesday with newly appointed Manager Dusty Baker and General Manager Click, the team wrote in the press release.
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