Carlos Lee

Brad Mills will remain the Astros manager in 2012.

There was some question about whether Mills would keep his job with the Astros going through ownership and general manager changes, but new GM Jeff Luhnow has confirmed that Mills will stick around. “I had a good conversation with him [Mills],” Luhnow said. “I’m going to go visit with him out in L.A. and here in Houston. I’m looking forward to working with him as our manager. So, he is our manager.” The Astros have gone 132-192 in Mills’ two seasons as manager and finished with a major league-low 56 wins in 2011.

According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, the Astros have hired Jeff Luhnow as general manager.

A superb hire for the ‘Stros. Luhnow helped turned the Cardinals’ farm system from pitiful to promising as the team’s vice president of scouting and player development, and will look to do the same with a Houston franchise that has fallen way off course. He faces many challenges, but he’s equipped with the brain-power to help the Astros begin turning things around. Luhnow will be introduced at a press conference Thursday.

Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the Astros will interview Dodgers assistant general manager Logan White for their GM vacancy.

White has interviewed for numerous GM jobs in the past and would be a pretty good get for the Astros considering the number of people that have refused to even interview for the job. Early indications are that Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett is the favorite for the job at this point.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Astros interviewed Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo Monday for their vacant GM position.

The Astros have been spurned by Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman and were told by White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and former Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng that they wouldn’t even interview. Cardinals vice president of scouting and player developmentr Jeff Luhnow and Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett have interviewed, with Geivett looking like the favorite for the job at this point.

According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Rays executive Andrew Friedman has decided against accepting the Astros’ vacant general manager position.

Friedman is a Houston native and was surely intrigued by the offer, but he has many friends within the Rays organization and has helped build that club into a proud, perennial contender. The Astros have also been turned down by White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and former Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng. It’s getting ugly.

According to Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SirusXM, the Astros interviewed Cardinals vice president of scouting and player developmentr Jeff Luhnow for their general manager vacancy on Thursday.

Luhnow has worked with the Cards’ organization since 2003. The Astros interviewed Rockies assistant GM Bill Geivett on Friday while they have been turned down by White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine and former Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng. The Astros reportedly “will do whatever it takes” to hire Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman, but it would be surprising if he actually took the job.