Astros owner Jim Crane downplays trade fire sale after hiring new GM

In a press conference announcing the hire of new general manager Randy Flores, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane took questions from the press alongside his new GM. The Astros did win the AL West once again in 2026, yet were swept out of the AL Wild Card round by the Chicago White Sox at home. With Flores now in charge of Houston’s baseball operations, Crane wants his team back in World Series contention. Per team beat reporter Chandler Rome on X (formerly Twitter), Crane downplayed the idea of a trade fire sale.