Astros Reportedly Favor Brewers’ Kleine for GM

The Houston Astros have identified Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine as their leading choice to replace Dana Brown, who was dismissed in August, though no agreement has been finalized. Kleine has spent nearly two decades with Milwaukee, working across scouting, roster construction, transactions and baseball operations. Houston owner Jim Crane has said he wants to study successful teams that operate without large payrolls, making the Brewers’ model an apparent draw. Other candidates included executives Josh Barfield, Mike Rizzo and Matt Klentak, who withdrew from consideration. If hired, Kleine would take over a team coming off an 81-win season and help guide a front-office reset that includes finding a manager.