With the potential retirement of Dusty Baker, the Houston Astros might be looking for a manager for the first time since before the 2020 season.
Would the Astros opt for an in-hour candidate, a first-time manager or someone with experience that can help keep their window to a World Series open a little longer?
Here are six managers and coaches that the Astros could consider to replace Baker.
Joe Espada, bench coach, Astros
Espada would be the primary in-house candidate. The belief in baseball is that at some point he will get a manager’s job. Getting it in Houston would be perfect for him and perfect for a roster that knows him. He’s interviewed for at least two jobs in the past — the Texas Rangers and the Chicago Cubs. He’s well respected in the baseball community. The only thing he doesn’t have going for him is managerial experience at the Major League or minor league level. But he’s worn a number of different hats as a hitting coach, base coach and bench coach.
Buck Showalter
Showalter — who was most recently with the New York Mets — is opening stumping for the job with the Los Angeles Angels. If he, owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian can’t get a deal done, Showalter might be interested in taking over an Astros team that his much closer to getting back to the World Series than the Angels. The reality is that Showalter is much better at rebuilds than taking over teams that already have a quality roster. Plus, Showalter was critical of the Astros during their sign-stealing scandal, going so far as to say he was the first to notice it. His hire may rub the fan base the wrong way.
Donnie Ecker, offensive coordinator, Texas Rangers
Ecker’s title belies his importance to the Rangers’ run to the World Series (at the Astros’ expense). He and hitting coach Tim Hyers are being given credit for helping Rangers hitters solve Cristian Javier’s “invisible fastball” in Game 7 of the ALCS. Ecker was reportedly on San Francisco’s short list, but now that their flirtation with luring Bob Melvin away from the Padres has reportedly reached an agreement, a return to the Giants may not be in Ecker’s future. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is record saying that both Ecker and associate manager Will Venable will be managers one day, though Venable has reportedly taken himself off the market. Ecker has a great reputation as one of baseball’s up-and-comers.
Craig Counsell, former Milwaukee manager
The belief is that former Brewers manager is on his way to New York to join his former boss, David Stearns, with the Mets. But it’s tricky. His contract isn’t up with the Brewers until Oct. 31. He’s a Wisconsin native and ultimately may want to stay. The longer Counsell remains out there, the better odds the Astros have of at least getting an interview. One thing the Astros have going for them is that they’re much closer to a World Series than the Mets. Counsell has taken the Brewers to the playoffs five times.
Ron Washington, Atlanta coach
Washington is 71 and is the winningest manager in Texas Rangers history. But he hasn’t managed since. He’s returned to his roots as an infield coach and finally won a World Series ring with Atlanta as a base coach in 2021. In many ways he’s like Baker — he trusts his gut. That may not be what Astros fans are looking for after being critical of Baker’s lineups on Twitter. But, if Washington really is looking to get back in the game, he couldn’t do much better than Houston.
Joe Girardi
Girardi is one of the few managers that can boast World Series rings as a player and as a manager, as he guided the New York Yankees to the 2009 World Series title. Philadelphia fired him midway through the 2022 season, but the Phillies ended up turning that into a World Series berth against Houston. Girardi has a solid track record as a manager, as he's won more than a 1,000 games with three different teams. He would bring the appropriate amount of experience to a veteran team that wants to win now.
More must-reads: