Houston – Astros owner Drayton McLane said in a 1 on 1 interview with KPRC-TV in Houston Friday morning at Minute Maid Park, he has a deal done with Houston businessman Jim Crane and all signs point to signing the paperwork next week.
"You have seen it often where someone from outside comes in, but this team needed to be owned by a Texan," McLane told KPRC-TV.
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"Jim is a Texan and he's from here in Houston, his family is here and he will be a good fit." said McLane. "We said back in November we wouldn't hand this off to anybody, it had to be the right fit person or group and Jim will be outstanding for the Astros."
"It's somewhat sad but I am the type of person that wants to move forward," said McLane.
After next week's transition, McLane acknowledged the next step.
" We'll have to then get baseball's approval and that could take another 4-5 weeks hopefully for that to happen," said McLane.
Final adjustments are being worked out and the sale price will fall between 680 and according to baseball sources as much as 692 million when final details are worked out.
McLane would not confirm the price but said Thursday ngiht, that some final items are being addressed.
"This has been a long and at times complicated process," McLane told KPRC-TV Friday morning in his Minute Maid Park offices. McLane had arrived at the ballpark after spending the past three days in New York for baseball owners meetings.
"There are a lot of elements involved with selling a franchise. You have the team, the stadium, the new network and all of the people involved with the finances so you have to be patient."
Former Rockets CEO/President George Postolos has been tied to Crane's group and baseball sources close to the talks, confirmed a report that Postolos' role in Crane's new team will be as the CEO once the sale is approved.
How any of the changes affect the current management team is still unclear.
A portion of McLane's 1 on 1 interview Friday morning with KPRC-TV Sports Randy McIlvoy can be viewed on the sports page of click2houston.com