James Click, general manager of the Houston Astros that just won the MLB World Series title, turned down the one-year contract extension offered by the team, according to ESPN on Friday.

"We have had great success in each of his three seasons, and James has been an important part of that success," Astros owner Jim Crane said in a statement released on Friday. "We have had great success in each of his three seasons, and James has been an important part of that success. I want to personally thank him and wish him and his family well moving forward."

Click and manager Dusty Baker joined the Astros in 2020 and both saw their contracts come due at the end of October. Baker accepted the one-year extension, but Click didn't. The last time a general manager didn't return after helping the team win the World Series was in 1947. The New York Yankees saw their general manager Larry MacPhail depart after defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers 4-3 in the series.

ESPN revealed that the Astros also sacked assistant general manager Scott Powers, who only joined the team in January. There have been rumors since the 2022 season began that the relations between Click and Crane took a turn for the worse. Crane reportedly ceased to trust Click as he used to while Click doesn't like Crane's increasing interventions in the team's baseball operations.

Crane denied those reports. "We've accomplished some good things together in a short period of time. And so people always looking for if there's some conflict or not getting along or whatever, but that's not the case," he said.

By contrast, Click's answer suggested there may be more under the water. "We're different," he said on Tuesday. "Jim is – well, look, let me clarify. There's some things that we do very differently. There's some things that we are very lined up on and that's going to be true of any relationship between a boss and an employee. I think he likes to act very quickly. In certain cases, I tend toward a more deliberate approach. He is very demanding, but he also gives you the resources to accomplish what he tasks you to do."

There were rumors that former Astros assistant general manager David Stearns may return to take over the team after stepping down as the Milwaukee Brewers' president of baseball operations two weeks ago. However, Stearns told MLB.com that he is not going anywhere but staying with the Brewers in an advisory role with a contract until 2023.