Nolan Ryan will be joining the Houston Astros as an advisor to their front office, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
Nolan Ryan joins Astros’ front office
Looks like Nolan Ryan’s long-awaited move to the Astros’ front office is finally happening.
USA TODAY Sports
Per Berman’s report, Ryan will work with the club’s business and baseball operations, advising owner Jim Crane, general manager Jeff Luhnow and team president Reid Ryan.
Reid is Ryan's eldest son, and ever since the Hall of Fame pitcher resigned as CEO of the Texas Rangers in October it has been speculated that Nolan would be joining his son in the Astros' front office. Ryan met with Crane on Jan. 28 about a potential job with the Astros, which has apparently led to Ryan taking on this advisory role.
"It would be special and totally different than what I have dealt with before because it's on the major league level and an organization that Reid's president of," Ryan told the Houston Chronicle, speaking about the Astros, in January. "And if I could assist him in some way, it would be fun and challenging."
More from our team sites
More from our team sites
News had been quiet regarding Ryan and the Astros after the two sides met in late January. On Monday, Crane told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart that he hoped to hear from Ryan “any day” and that the “ball [was] in his court” regarding a potential return to the Astros.
The 27-year MLB veteran grew up in the Houston area and pitched eight seasons for the Astros, finishing with 106 wins and a 3.13 ERA with the club from 1980 to 1988. He earned 324 careers wins and is baseball’s all-time leader with 5,714 strikeouts.
Ryan spent nearly five years with the Rangers organization. He became the team's president in Feb. 2008 and remained an important member of the team's front office during its runs to the World Series in 2010 and 2011. Ryan ultimately became the Rangers' CEO during spring training in 2011 before parting ways with the Rangers this past October.
“I see my role in baseball different now than it was with the Rangers,” Ryan said in January. “That gives you kind of a different feel about it and about the way it would involve my time and commitment. It would be more on a consultant-type basis.”
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
