Astros, Padres’ Managerial Searches Winding Down
Not one, but two new managers are on tap to be introduced in Major League Baseball this week, according to recent reports.
The first will include the Houston Astros, who will announce Joe Espada as the 25th skipper in franchise history on Monday, replacing the recently retired Dusty Baker. The future Hall-of-Fame manager revealed he wouldn’t return in 2024 following last month’s loss in the ALCS.
Espada joined the Astros organization as a bench coach in 2018, a role he’s remained in ever since, allowing him to work alongside previous skippers A.J. Hinch and Baker. And now it’s his turn to take the reins of the big-league club.
The Astros plan is to make Espada’s managerial promotion official during Monday’s press conference at Minute Maid Park, where he’ll become just the third skipper hired since the franchise won its first World Series championship in 2017.
Following nine minor-league seasons as a player, Espada joined the coaching ranks with the Miami Marlins in 2006, beginning his post-playing career as a minor-league hitting coach and infield coordinator. He went on to spend four seasons as the major-league team’s third base coach from 2010-13.
But when the Marlins attempted to reassign the 48-year-old coach to the minors, he left to serve as a special assistant to New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman before becoming the club’s third base coach and infield coordinator ahead of the 2015 season.
Houston came calling a few years later after Alex Cora – the team’s bench coach at the time – departed to manage the Boston Red Sox in 2018, creating a path for Espada’s arrival. Since then, he’s been integral to the franchise’s dynasty run to securing two World Series titles (2017, 2022).
In addition to the Astros’ hiring, the San Diego Padres are reportedly nearing a decision in their managerial search, which is expected to conclude later this week, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi.
So far, as Morosi reports, the Padres have interviewed Mike Shildt, Ryan Flaherty, Benji Gil, and Phil Nevin for the position in recent weeks. But those four likely aren’t the only candidates receiving consideration.
San Diego is seeking its fifth manager since 2016 following Bob Melvin’s departure to San Francisco earlier this off-season, ending his tenure with the organization after just two campaigns. He led them to an NLCS berth in 2022 but endured a miserable summer this past season, struggling to an 82-80 record.
Whoever replaces Melvin will have their work cut out for them, as they’ll be entering a high-pressure environment for a win-now franchise. Next season’s roster could also look vastly different in 2024, though, with Blake Snell and Josh Hader becoming free agents.
If that weren’t difficult enough, plenty of trade rumours are swirling about a potential Juan Soto blockbuster, as the generational superstar will be eligible to enter free agency after next season.
Still, San Diego’s front office should soon be able to cross off “hire a new skipper” from their off-season to-do list. At which point, the Milwaukee Brewers will feature the final managerial vacancy, with Craig Counsell inking an historic deal as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs last week.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Delaywaves. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.