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Roger Mooney

Roger Mooney covers the Tampa Bay Rays for The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com and News Channel 8. He has covered the Rays since their first season in 1998, including 11 years for the Bradenton Herald. Roger has also covered Florida, South Florida and Florida State football, the Bucs and the Lightning.

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Rays reportedly grant Astros permission to interview Friedman

Posted Nov 28, 2011 by Roger Mooney

Updated Nov 28, 2011 at 11:14 PM

ROGER MOONEY

Citing a source “with knowledge of the organization’s thinking,” Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle is reporting the Astros have obtained permission to interview Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.

The Rays declined to comment.

Here is Justice’s blog: http://blog.chron.com/ultimate/2011/11/28/astros-receive-permission-to-interview-rays-gm-friedman/.

Friedman, a Houston native, has been rumored to be a target of new Astros owner Jim Crane since before the sale was approved.

The Cubs have also shown interest in Friedman for their once vacant general manager’s job.

The Angels, searching for a new GM at the time, received permission to interview Friedman and did have dinner with him in St. Petersburg early this offseason.

Friedman hasn’t commented on any of those rumors and has professed a desire to remain with the Rays, citing the challenge of being competitive in the AL East despite a limited payroll as one of the bigger draws to his job.

Here’s Tribune columnist Joe Henderson’s take on Friedman’s future http://www2.tbo.com/news/columns/2011/oct/27/6/loyalty-will-likely-keep-friedman-maddon-with-rays-ar-298588/.

The Astros fired GM Ed Wade on Sunday. They hope to hire a general manager before the Winter Meetings, which begin Monday in Dallas.

According to reports, Crane wants to rebuild the farm system, something Friedman has done well since taking over the Rays GM post after the end of the 2005 season.

According to Justice’s blog, Rays senior vice president of baseball operations Gerry Hunsicker is not a candidate. Hunsicker had served as the Astros GM for nine years.