Astros to name Joe Espada new manager
The Houston Astros are set to name Puerto Rican Joe Espada as their new manager, a source told MLB.com on Sunday. Espada, who has spent the last six seasons as the Astros’ bench coach, will be replacing Dusty Baker, who retired last month after the Astros were eliminated in the playoffs.
Although the Astros have not confirmed Espada’s promotion, they have announced a press conference for Monday at Minute Maid Park with general manager Dana Brown.
Espada, 48, previously worked with the Yankees before joining the Astros in 2018. He has also served as a manager in the Puerto Rico Winter League and has interviewed for several managerial vacancies in recent years.
His promotion to manager is expected to be well-received in the clubhouse, where he is popular with staff and players and known for his excellent communication skills. Espada has also worked with World Series-winning managers AJ Hinch and Dusty Baker and will now be tasked with maintaining the Astros’ competitiveness in the American League.
The Astros are expected to retain most of their key players from the 2023 team and are aiming to compete for another pennant with some additions in the bullpen. Brown has highlighted adding relievers and finding a catcher to back up Yainer Díaz as his two biggest off-season goals.
Espada’s managerial prowess was on display in the recent ALCS against the Rangers, where he made crucial decisions after Baker was ejected from the game. These decisions led to a critical come-from-behind victory for the Astros.
As the new manager, Espada will have the opportunity to reshape the coaching staff, including the potential hiring of a new bench coach. This move sees Espada become the club’s 20th full-time manager and the first Latin American in that role since Cuban Preston Gómez in the 1970s.
Before his coaching career, Espada was a former player who was chosen in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Oakland Athletics. He spent nine seasons in the minor leagues before retiring at age 29 and transitioning into coaching.