Brad Ausmus. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Astros have two strong candidates for manager job

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 10/26/23

The Houston Astros are in search of a new manager, and two candidates have emerged as potential hires.

Brad Ausmus and Joe Espada are leading candidates for the Houston job, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Ausmus may be a particular favorite, having been strongly considered for other organizational openings in the past.

Brad Ausmus and Joe Espada will be strong candidates for the Astros' managerial opening.
Ausmus finished runner-up to Dusty Baker as manager, and also a runner-up to Dana Brown as GM.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 26, 2023

Both Ausmus and Espada have strong ties to the Houston organization. Espada has been the team’s bench coach since 2018 and would be an obvious choice without rocking the boat too much. Ausmus, who has previously managed the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels, spent much of his playing career with the Astros.

The Astros job should be a fairly coveted one given the team’s status as a regular contender. The candidates are vying to replace Dusty Baker, who announced his retirement as manager earlier this week.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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