Is Jim Crane Becoming Jerry Jones?

During the first nine years of his ownership of the Houston Astros, Jim Crane remained largely out of baseball operations. He gave full autonomy to then-general manager Jeff Luhnow and all he did was write the checks. However, since 2022, Crane has become more involved in Houston’s baseball operations. The Astros went through free agency with Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell calling the shots. This year, Crane is leading the search for a new manager and his GM Dana Brown will only have some input. Crane’s medaling in baseball decisions is making him look like baseball’s answer to Jerry Jones.

Crane Gave Jeff Luhnow Complete Autonomy

When Jeff Luhnow was Houston’s GM from 2011-2020, Jim Crane wasn’t involved in baseball decisions. He left every decision up to Luhnow and all he did was write the checks. After essentially being forced to fire Luhnow in the wake of Houston’s sign-stealing scandal, Crane hired James Click to be the new GM. With Click in place, Crane largely stayed out of the way.

Jim Crane Becomes More Involved

Despite the abrupt change in baseball operations leadership, Houston continued to have success. Under Click, the Astros went to the ALCS in 2020, 2021, and 2022. During that span, Houston would win two pennants and an untainted World Series championship. This all happened despite losing stars like Carlos Correa, Gerrit Cole, George Springer, and Zack Greinke. Despite the front office delivering results, Crane started to get more involved in 2022.

During the 2022 season, Crane gradually became more involved in baseball decisions. He was constantly second-guessing Click and brought on former greats Jeff Bagwell and Reggie Jackson as “advisors.” In turn, Crane has seemingly enabled Jeff Bagwell to have a lot more power inside the Astros front office. A week after Houston’s World Series triumph against the Phillies, Crane fired James Click.

After letting Click leave, Crane didn’t hire a general manager right away. Instead, he and Bagwell made all the decisions during free agency. This resulted in them signing both Rafael Montero and Jose Abreu to long-term contracts. So far, both Abreu and Montero have looked like busts. In 2022, Abreu had been showing signs of declining performance during his last season with the White Sox. After free agency concluded, Crane finally hired a new GM in Dana Brown.

Jim Crane Isn’t Allowing Dana Brown To Do His Job

Despite hiring Dana Brown, Crane hasn’t really allowed him to make an impression on the organization. It was Crane who pushed Brown to make the trade to bring back his favorite player Justin Verlander. It’s hard to say for sure whether Brown would’ve made the move himself. Although, bringing back Verlander ended up being a good move.

Recently, manager Dusty Baker stepped down after four years. Houston’s post is probably one of the more attractive jobs in baseball given they are coming off a seventh straight ALCS appearance. This typically would be a great opportunity for someone like Dana Brown to put their stamp on the organization. However, reportedly Crane and Jeff Bagwell will be leading the search and Brown will only be able to offer input. It seems like Brown is the GM in title only and Crane and Bagwell are really in charge of the baseball decisions. Once again Crane can’t step aside and trust who he hired, and Bagwell has too much power for being an advisor.

Astros Fans Better Pray

Jim Crane’s heavy involvement in baseball decisions has more or less made him baseball’s answer to Jerry Jones. Jones’s medaling essentially ended the Cowboys dynasty and the same could happen to the recent success of the Astros. Between the involvement of Jim Crane and the empowerment of Jeff Bagwell, this team is headed down a dangerous path. Fans should pray that the decision-making of Crane and Bagwell doesn’t also make them into the Dallas Cowboys of baseball.

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