The Houston Astros wasted no time in naming their interim manager. Less than an hour after the firings of GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were announced, the Astros have named bench coach Joe Espada their interim manager.
CBS Sports’ David P. Samson announced the news via Twitter on Monday afternoon.
Espada was a hot commodity for the coaching openings in the 2019-2020 offseason. He was interviewed by the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants, among being on shortlists for other teams. It was expected he would earn a manager job soon.
Receiving the job after a cheating scandal and the firing of his manager A.J. Hinch is not the path he was expected to take, however. The firings came after a one year suspension was handed down to Hinch and Luhnow after a cheating scandal dating back to their 2017 World Series-winning season.
In 2020, Espada will have the full strength of the Astros’ roster, as no players were punished in the wake of the scandal. Houston won 107 games in 2019, and lost to the Washington Nationals in seven games in the World Series.
Featured Image courtesy of Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle
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