Late Monday night, Rays writer for the St. Petersburg Times Marc Topkin reported that Tampa Bay had granted Houston permission to speak with Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman about the Astros open GM job. With the sale of the Astros going through to Jim Crane, the new owner wasted little time firing GM Ed Wade and team president Tal Smith.
Friedman is expected to speak with the Astros but all indications are that he will remain with the Rays, given the success he's enjoyed and the strong relationships he has with ownership and the front office.. He has interviewed with the Angels in the past and remains one of the hottest GMs in the league. A Houston native, he is clearly the Astros first choice for their GM vacancy. While permission has been granted, it's unlikely anything will come of the conversations.
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