Heyman on Bochy, Wash, Click

As October marches on, teams around MLB are getting more serious in regards to their managerial searches, with Jon Heyman having an article today with some notes from around the league on how those hunts are going.

Heyman mentions the Chris Young/Bruce Bochy meeting that was reported earlier this week, noting “word is Young loves Bochy” since their days in San Diego. I have felt for a while like the managerial job is Bochy’s if he wants it, and the Rangers aren’t going to really interview other candidates in earnest unless and until Bochy passes.

Heyman also mentions that Ron Washington is one of the folks that are being considered as a candidate to replace Tony LaRussa in Chicago. Washington seems like someone who would potentially be a good fit there. And while fans have talked about bringing Wash back to Texas, I can’t see that happening — there’s a new front office since Wash left in 2014 that doesn’t have ties to him, and I don’t think ownership was happy with how his departure went down.

Heyman has a second article up at the Post today, as well, one that is really more interesting to me, relating to the uncertain future of Houston Astros general manager James Click. Heyman notes that neither Click nor manager Dusty Baker are under contract for 2023, and while Baker is expected back for 2023, the Astros may let Click walk.

Click, 44, was a Tampa Bay Rays lifer until the Astros hired him to replace the disgraced Jeff Luhnow in January, 2020. He would appear to have done a very good job with Houston, but Crane — who does not have a reputation for being the easiest owner to work for — appears to have had some clashes with Click. That conflict could result in Click being out of a job in a few weeks.

The Rangers no longer have a President of Baseball Operations since Jon Daniels was shown the door in August. There has been talk about getting someone into the Rangers’ front office to work with Chris Young, presumably with Young taking over the President of Baseball Operations role and the newcomer being general manager. If Click does, in fact, end up being available, one would be hard-pressed to think of a better option to take one of the top two roles in Texas.

That being said, Click would be a hot commodity if he were to leave Houston, and he may only want a gig where he is at the top of the organizational chart on the baseball operations side. I’m not sure if Ray Davis and Chris Young would want to bring someone from the outside, like Click, in to take a role above Young on the org chart, and if they don’t, I’m not sure Click would be interested in a role answering to Young, who has been in his general manager role less time than Click has.

But it would be something to keep an eye on.