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Dana Brown reportedly has one trade deadline left to save his job in Houston originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Astros are 33-41 and fourth in the AL West, leaving them very little time to save their season.
With the August 3 trade deadline less than 50 days away, ESPN’s Buster Olney listed General Manager Dana Brown as one of the MLB executives facing the most pressure this summer. The stakes for Brown are high, as he is entering the final year of his contract.
Brown is in the final year of his contract, so the stakes for him are high. Owner Jim Crane declined to offer extensions to either Brown or manager Joe Espada before the 2026 season, making a playoff appearance essentially the price of admission for both men to keep their jobs. So far, the Astros have given little reason to believe they will make it.
Since Brown took over after the 2022 World Series victory, Houston has consistently regressed. The team dropped from an ALCS exit to a Wild Card elimination, and then missed the postseason entirely. This year is even worse because of one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball.
The starting rotation is the main reason behind the team's struggles. Their team ERA sat at the bottom of the league early on, with Mike Burrows and Lance McCullers Jr. both giving up more than six runs per nine innings. Management expected offseason additions to fix the problem, tying their jobs to Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who has struggled heavily to adjust.
The trade deadline puts Brown in a tough position. He has already stated the team will not sell off assets, but what the roster needs may conflict with his survival plans. To save his job now, he has every reason to make a desperate push rather than plan for the future.
However, that approach failed last year, when Brown traded for an injury-plagued Carlos Correa, with Minnesota sending $33 million to offset the salary. His injuries ultimately cost the Astros their 2025 season.
The outside view is that Houston is sitting on more trade value than they're willing to admit. According to Olney, rival executives believe the Astros could "crush it" in return value if they ever decided to become sellers, with players like Jeremy Peña and Yordan Álvarez drawing significant interest around the league.
But Crane has told others in the industry that he'll never tear down to a full rebuild, leaving Brown squeezed between a boss who wants to win now and a roster that has spent most of 2026 proving it can't deliver.
When MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart asked Brown if the Astros would buy or sell, the GM dodged the question but also hinted that he is still looking to add talent.
"In terms of the Deadline, we're just kind of like highlighting some of the needs," Brown said, later mentioning targets for the outfield and bullpen.
A mediocre American League is the only thing keeping Houston's season alive. Despite a poor record, the Astros are still within striking distance of the final wild-card spot. History shows owner Jim Crane will not authorize a full rebuild as long as the team has a postseason chance.
But again, time is running out since Brown is in the final year of his contract. Without an extension, Houston must make the playoffs to avoid major changes to the front office and coaching staff.
More MLB news:
- Forget Skubal — the Astros need to fix their bullpen before anything else
- Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
- Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
- Corey Seager trade rumors are a sign Texas faces a bigger decision than anyone is admitting
- Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
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