Puerto Rican Joe Espada, who spent the last six seasons as the Astros’ bench coach, will be named the club’s new manager, a source told MLB.com on Sunday.
The Astros, who have not confirmed Espada’s promotion, made the announcement at a press conference at 11 a.m. CT Monday at Minute Maid Park with general manager Dana Brown. Espada will replace Dusty Baker, who retired last month after the Astros were eliminated from the playoffs.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier Sunday that the Astros are promoting Espada, who is the favorite to take the job.
Espada, 48, came to the Astros from the Yankees before the 2018 season to replace bench coach and countryman Alex Cora, who was hired as Red Sox manager. Espada already has experience as a manager in the Puerto Rico Winter League.
Espada began his coaching career with the Marlins, working in the minor leagues before beginning his career in the Major Leagues as the third base coach in 2010.
He remained with the Marlins until the end of the 2013 season before taking a position as a special assistant to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He joined the Yankees training staff in 2015 and worked as the infield coach and third baseman until the end of the 2017 campaign.
Espada, who was born in Puerto Rico, was selected in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Oakland Athletics and spent nine seasons in the minor leagues. He became a Triple-A player, but retired at age 29 after failing to reach the Major Leagues and began his coaching career.
