Eric Girard

Possible #Astros/GM hire scenario: Kleine offered job Wed. & accepts w conditions, tells agent to make deal; Crane informs candidates incl. Flores they're out; He grows impatient re buyout terms, title, salary—issues Fri. 5 p.m. deadline; No deal reached; Crane pivots to Flores.

Monday's presser will answer many questions about Flores: how he looks, answers questions, how competent/confident he is. That's when first & likely lasting impressions should be formed. You knew Luhnow was "wow" from the outset. I knew Dana lacked confidence, was nervous & weak.

Apparently (from what I've read) Flores was instrumental in finding and signing Randy Arozarena initially. He's a FA, albeit a likely expensive one, but...hey...you never know! One can dream!

Only one positive to Crane not hiring KLEINE as GM will be the cringe felt every time some dumb #Astros fan misspelled his name as KLEIN--something that was already happening regularly! Lol.

I tweeted BEFORE Kleine's red-carpet walk that he should be considered for #Astros GM & today that his possible insistence on Prez of Baseball Operations title (what Crane sees himself as) may be a holdup. Sure enough, as Flores is hired, we hear GM title apparently WAS an issue.

Just a thought: Could the holdup of #Astros hiring Matt Kleine be his title? Trend is President/Baseball Operations, not General Manager. Possibly old-school Crane insists it be GM. Plus, Crane's son Jared is President of the club & he doesn't want any confusion re pecking order.

If the #Astros do hire Matt Kleine (with an E on the end, please, Astros fans) or someone else such as Josh Barfield to be GM, It wouldn't be surprising if Mike Rizzo is brought on as a consultant or in a similar role as Bagwell. That is if Rizzo impressed in his interview.

Since nobody on the star-studded postgame crew asked, shouldn't Brewers have put in Misiorowski bot 12 after Pratt's dramatic go-ahead HR to lock down a 3-2 win & WS title? Instead, Miz will start Game 5 vs Rays who scored 2 bottom 12 off the last guy in the pen to extend Series.

If Kleine was perhaps offered the GM job but turned it down or is holding out for a VP title or more money, I wouldn't be totally against a Rizzo (VP/Player Personnel & Barfield GM combo in keeping w the recent trend of having young forward-thinking GMs answer to a older VP.

Wouldn't surprise me if Crane & #Astros get w the modern-day approach of a two-headed hierarchy of VP/Baseball Operations & GM. Wonder if a combo of Brad Ausmus & Matt Kleine may be in the offing w Kleine as VP & Ausmus GM or possibly opposite? Then, maybe Omar Lopez as manager?

Hope #Astros, even without a GM or manager, are noticing Brewers, Rays, Guardians small ball: bunting, stealing, hitting behind runners, taking extra bases. It's how you add on & get & keep leads. Stros always "hoped" for big hits with runners on & too often, not getting 'em.

Now can we please start JJ McCarthy, #Giants! Telling you, he's the QB of the future, not Dart! He's Eli-like with even more tools. Damn near brought Giants back today after replacing Winston, down 34-10! If he'd've seen Nabers open in the end zone last play, they'd have tied it!

Don't miss Dan Hennigan interview on Crush City podcast w Rome/Stafford! Hennigan, ex-Director of Hitting/Offense for Stros who left for Wake Forest says he now has better resources than MLB. Cam Smith already visited Hennigan in NC in offseason. Other Stros to follow. OMG stuff!

Mariners interested in Rocco Baldelli for manager. Baldelli's been my No. 1 choice to be #Astros manager. It's curious the M's seem to come up w similar names the Stros may be interested in. Polanco & Donovan come to mind. Of course they want to get more Stros intel from Espada.

Matt Kleine MUST be on the #Astros GM-search shortlist. As Brewers AGM from the David Stearns tree, he has the tools Crane MUST employ: understanding of today's game, contacts in the biz, smart, quick, forward-thinking, yet open-minded, & has his own ideas. Demands to be heard!

Why? Bills 1st & goal at Rams 6, 1:49 left, tie game. Why not run 3 plays, not scoring on purpose, forcing Rams outta TOs w about :30 left? Then go for TD but if stopped, call TO w :20 left & kick winning FG. Instead, Bills score TD w 1:40 left giving Rams time for tying TD & OT!

In the best interests of #Astros now+future, they MUST trade Yordan for a astronomical return- the right MLB players+ top prospects. With Altuve signed 3 more years, he MUST become fulltime DH. Deal Pena if he won't sign & make a couple bench, bullpen signings. There, I said it!

#Giants @ Commanders ended tied when both blew opps for easy FGs in OT! Giants ran a play to get closer, but fumbled away their opp to try a 40ish-yd. FG! Commanders then drove to easy FG range but forgot they had 0 TOs when positioning for what could've been a 38-yd. winning FG.

Not impressed with Philo as Florida #Gators QB; not impressed with Coach Jon Sumrall settling for FGs 2 weeks in a row inside the 5-yard line. South Carolina looks better than Florida so far, 17-10. Not impressed with Gators letting clock run with less than a minute left in half.