The Houston Astros have officially announced that they will be letting go of general manager Dana Brown. 

Brown had been the Astros GM since 2023 and his contract was on track to expire at the end of the 2026 season, with no talks of an extension. In addition, the decision was also led by the Astros' discouraging 3-6 homestand and their uninspiring 65-66 record. 

The team's on-field struggles were present in their rough homestand as they blew a six-run lead against the Athletics, and the team is battling for the top spot in a neck-and-neck AL West race. 

The Astros and Brown made a mutual agreement to part ways, and his duties will shift to assistant GMs Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff and to senior advisor Jeff Bagwell, per the team. Throughout the transition period, Astros owner and chairman Jim Crane will supervise baseball operations. 

Evaluating Dana Brown's tenure with the Astros and Braves

Across the four past seasons, Brown helped lead the Astros to two divisional titles in his first two consecutive seasons while also helping out with scouting and the development of players. 

His scouting background was useful with drafting high-ceiling young talent. During his tenure with the Atlanta Braves, where he previously served as vice president of scouting, he successfully helped draft key young core players such as Michael Harris II, Spencer Strider, and Vaughan Grissom. 

With the Astros, he hired manager Joe Espada, who was the 20th manager in franchise history, and secured nine-time All-Star Jose Altuve to a long-term extension in 2024. 

As well, he made notable trades including successfully bringing back veteran starting pitcher Justin Verlander during his first trade deadline with the Astros in 2023, in addition to acquiring Yusei Kikuchi in 2024 and trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs for Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith.