The Houston Astros will have a new manager at the helm for the first time since 2020 following the retirement of legendary manager Dusty Baker after four seasons with the team.
GM Dana Brown decided to promote their bench coach Joe Espada to take over the head job, who had been with the Astros since 2018 in that role.
He replaced former bench coach, Alex Cora, who left to take the managerial job with the Boston Red Sox following Houston’s World Series win in 2017.
Cora proved to be one of the best skippers in the game immediately. He became only the fifth rookie manager to ever win a World Series after the Red Sox won in 2018.
The former Astros’ bench coach was connected to the sign stealing scandal during his time within the organization and agree to mutually part ways with Boston ahead of the 2020 season.
He was then re-hired on a two-year contract for the 2021 and 2022 seasons with team options for 2023 and 2024.
“Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s record-setting, five-year, $40 million contract, may last only one year. Several teams have already expressed strong interest in Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who’s a free agent after the season,” he reported.
That certainly is an interesting nugget.
