According to this tweet from KPRC’s Randy McIlvoy, the proposed sale of the Houston Astros to Jim Crane could now be two to three weeks away. McIlvoy said he talked with Drayton McLane about the move and that the Dodgers bankruptcy is causing that timeline.
That means the sale will be completed just before the trade deadline, which could severely limit the time Ed Wade has to get returns on Wandy Rodriguez, Hunter Pence and the rest of the team.
Crane agreed to buy the team back in May, but has been slowly moving through the process to get approved by Major League Baseball. Forbes has brought up numerous concerns about his former company, Eagle Global Logistics, and a spotty record with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Add to that a charge that EGL was selling goods to the armed forces at drastically increased rates and MLB may have needed to thoroughly vet Crane this time around.
On the other hand, since Crane has been involved twice before in attempts to buy teams, he’s a known commodity to Bud Selig’s crew. The problems now may all stem from Frank McCourt’s messy divorce and public contests of strength with Selig.
Either way, it sounds more and more likely that Crane will be approved by the trading deadline. Stay tuned…
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