Who is Randy Flores? Astros pick Cardinals executive to fix 81-81 team

Randy Flores, the Cardinals' assistant general manager and scouting director, has been named the new Houston Astros general manager after the team parted ways with former GM Dana Brown. Flores, who played as a left-handed pitcher in the majors, was drafted by the Yankees in 1997 and spent parts of eight seasons playing for various teams, including the Rangers, Rockies, Cardinals, and Twins.

He achieved his best postseason success in 2006, when the Cardinals won the World Series. Following his retirement, Flores pursued coaching and broadcasting opportunities before joining the Cardinals in 2015 to oversee their amateur scouting. The Astros fired Brown in August 2023, though the reasons were not officially disclosed.

Brown's tenure, which began in January 2023, was marked by two division titles. The Astros, who won their fifth division title in six years, were eliminated from the playoffs by the Chicago White Sox in the wild-card round, marking their ninth consecutive home playoff loss.