Astros Interview Oz Ocampo for Front Office Executive Role, Per Report

Update, Oct. 28, 9:43 AM CT: MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported on X that Oz Ocampo "interviewed Monday with owner Jim Crane for assistant GM, a source said." McTaggart wrote that Ocampo "worked with Astros from 2012-20 & '22 and helped build their powerhouse club," and that among players he signed internationally were "Valdez, Javier, Urquidy, Garcia, Abreu, Gurriel, W. Abreu & others." The report confirms the interview Francys Romero first reported Wednesday morning as an "executive position," and specifies the role as assistant GM.

The Houston Astros interviewed Oz Ocampo for assistant GM on Monday with owner Jim Crane, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported on X, citing a source. Francys Romero first reported Wednesday morning that Houston had interviewed Ocampo for "an executive position within their front office," without naming the vacant GM job; McTaggart's report specifies assistant GM.

"The Houston Astros interviewed Oz Ocampo for an executive position within their front office, per sources," Romero wrote. "Ocampo was previously an assistant GM with the Miami Marlins and is currently a Senior Advisor with the Colorado Rockies."

MLB.com's Brian McTaggart confirmed and specified the role at 9:43 AM CT Wednesday, writing that Ocampo "interviewed Monday with owner Jim Crane for assistant GM, a source said."

Ocampo is a familiar name in Houston. The Marlins hired him as an assistant general manager in November 2022 after a second stint with the Astros as an international crosschecker, MLB.com reported at the time. In his first Houston tenure he helped oversee international scouting and Latin player development beginning in 2012 and later served as a special assistant to the general manager, with a pronounced role in the signings of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy, Luis Garcia and Yuli Gurriel, per that report. He also worked for the Cardinals, the Commissioner's Office and the Pirates before Miami. After leaving the Marlins he taught global sports strategy at Rice University, per Rice News in April 2025. Romero's description of a current Rockies senior advisor role has not been independently confirmed by a second outlet or the club's public staff directory.

The search timeline

Houston is still searching for a general manager after parting with Dana Brown in August. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart wrote that "the search is close to wrapping up, with Houston aiming to have a GM in place before the General Managers Meetings begin on Nov. 10 in Las Vegas." USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote Monday that Houston's "preference is to have a GM in place by the time of the GM meetings on Nov. 9 in Las Vegas." Independent offseason calendars list the Las Vegas meetings as either Nov. 9–12 or Nov. 10–13.

On Tuesday, former Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had a formal interview with Astros owner Jim Crane in Houston, Nightengale reported and McTaggart confirmed (our story). McTaggart has written that Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine appears to be the leading candidate among a wide field that also includes other outside AGMs and Houston's own Gavin Dickey and Charles Cook.

For every reported name, see our Astros GM search tracker.

Around the MLB

• World Series Game 4: The Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 in 12 innings at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night, cutting Milwaukee's series lead to 3-1, per MLB.com. Cooper Pratt led off the 12th with a go-ahead homer; Tampa Bay answered with a rally that ended on Ben Williamson's walk-off chopper. Game 5 is Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on FOX.

• Twins RP Jeff Hoffman had arthroscopic right elbow surgery (debridement and bone-chip removal) and is expected to begin a throwing program in about eight weeks and be ready for the start of 2027, MLB Trade Rumors reported, citing Dan Hayes of The Athletic and the Twins' announcement.

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