James Click helped save the Houston Astros after the signal theft scandal. With his contract expiring, the team doesn’t seem committed to keeping it.
James Click deserved better than that.
At GM meetings in Las Vegas, just hours after the military parade to celebrate the Houston Astros World Championship, Click was answering questions about his career status. His contract expired on October 31 and Klick, 41, was It said She offered a one-year contract to return with a salary increase – a proposal that’s no more than a slap in the face.
On Friday, the Astros parted ways with Click — and executives all over baseball were freaked out.
“Whoever is behind every scene in baseball right now is boiling,” one executive said. “I’d hate to see someone come forward in this very big position and be treated that way.”
“Dude, what the hell is this?” A second executive said.
“Holy shit. I didn’t think they would actually do that,” said a third executive.
James Click was with the Houston Astros when they needed him
In 2020, Click enters one of the toughest situations in modern baseball history. The Astros were emerging from a signal-stealing scandal and had just fired manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. The organization has stabilized and amassed the most regular season wins in the MLS over the past three years despite the departures of Carlos Correa, George Springer and Gerrit Cole all in free agency.
But Click & Astros owner Jim Crane has had a strained relationship. Click appeared in Tampa Bay and preferred to have an extended expedition division while Crane, under Luhnow’s command, was accustomed to smaller front offices. As ESPN reported, Crane canceled a deal at the trade deadline that would have sent bowler Jose Urquidi to the Chicago Cubs for All-Star hunter Willson Contreras. The two also had stylistic clashes – click counts more; Crane is more aggressive – When asked about his relationship with Crane, Klick said, “We are different.”
“There are some things we do completely differently,” Klick said. “There are a few things that we line up. That would be true in any boss-employee relationship. … It is very demanding, but it also gives you the resources to accomplish the tasks that they assign you.”
Crane will find another CEO to lead the Astros, but doing so could have repercussions. Pete Boutella, who has long been a prominent internal candidate, was recently appointed as general manager of the San Francisco Giants. Oz Ocampo, who played a major role in building the Houston dynasty, was appointed as the assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins. Mike Elias, formerly of the Astros, is the general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
Then there’s David Stearns, who was previously the Astros’ assistant general manager. Stearns, 37, recently resigned as the Milwaukee Brewers’ chief of baseball operations. But he is under contract for another season and when asked if he would give Stearns permission to interview elsewhere, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said: “The arrangement doesn’t anticipate that.”
Besides, the Astros’ treatment and stunning release of Click just days after winning the World Championship could scare off the top candidates.
Regardless, clicking will be fine. He spent 15 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and has former co-workers running the Rays, Dodgers, Brewers and Red Sox and has relationships throughout the sport. He graduated from Yale and, in the words of an American League executive who knows Klick, “is a damned elite.” He will have no shortage of options.
Sure enough, the uncertainty surrounding his future fizzled out on Click, but he handled the situation with class. The same cannot be said of the Astros, who are now looking for their third General Manager in four years. But through it all, Klick hasn’t lost his sense of humor.
When I asked him about his condition on Tuesday afternoon, Click looked at his hand and laughed and said, “I’m a size 9 ring, so I’m fine.”
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