*Photo from KNBR*
The next bench boss in Houston will come from within the organization. The Houston Astros are promoting bench coach Joe Espada to be the team's next manager, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Saturday.
Espada joined the Astros organization as bench coach in 2018 after previous bench coach Alex Cora left to manage the Boston Red Sox. Espada, who came from the New York Yankees organization, has only managed in the Puerto Rico winter league in his coaching career.
The hire will make Espada the second Latino manager in Astros history, with Preston Gomez in 1974 and 1975 as the other. Since joining the Astros, Espada worked under AJ Hinch in 2018 and 2019 before he was fired as a result of the sign stealing scandal from 2017. From 2020 until the end of 2023, he served as Dusty Baker's bench coach, winning a World Series in 2022 after falling short in 2021.
Under both Hinch and Baker, the Astros have made the ALCS 7 straight years and appeared in the World Series in 4 of those years, winning in 2017 and 2022 while losing in 2019 and 2021. In the 6 full seasons that has lasted, the Astros have won the AL West title each year.
Espada started his coaching career in the Miami Marlins system in 2006 before becoming the major league 3rd base coach in 2010. He joined the Yankees in 2014 as a scout before becoming a 3rd base coach in 2015 and doing that through 2017, before the Astros hired him.
In game 5 of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers, Baker had been ejected after Adolis Garcia was hit by a Bryan Abreu pitch. In the 9th inning, with Espada acting as the manager, he sent Yainer Diaz and Jon Singleton to the plate as pinch hitters. They both reached base, setting the stage for Jose Altuve's game winning 3 run home run.
One of the first things Espada will have to do is fill out the rest of his coaching staff. He'll have to find a bench coach as well as a 3rd base coach, with current 3rd base coach Gary Pettis reportedly not returning to the team.
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