Could Houston general manager Dana Brown look to his former franchise as he eyes Dusty Baker’s replacement?
With Dusty Baker’s retirement in late October, the Houston Astros are currently looking for their third manager in this legendary era. Furthermore, a potential leader for Houston’s management vacancy seems to be in the clubhouse with 2024 quickly approaching.
According to a number of reports, general manager Dana Brown and team owner Jim Crane consider current Astros bench coach Joe Espada to be the most likely candidate to be hired in the upcoming weeks. However, Espada’s transition to the Houston manager’s bench is far from certain. The Astros are “expected to go through the interview process with multiple candidates,” including both current first-base coach Omar Lopez of Houston and Espada, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Regarding outside candidates, Feinsand identified Walt Weiss and Eric Young, the coaches of the Atlanta Braves, as two names to keep an eye on.Brown’s baseball background clarifies the probable nature of the next interviews with the Atlanta coaches.
Before joining the Astros prior to the 2023 season, Brown served as the vice president of scouting for the Braves. He collaborated closely with Weiss and Young to help Atlanta cultivate its next crop of young talent. The Braves are similar to the Astros in that they combine significant outside investment with a strong roster of excellent homegrown players. A manager experienced in player development makes sense given such a methodology. In that sense, Young and Weiss are both appropriate.
Though it’s unlikely that Brown will choose based only on familiarity, the Astros should take note of the past collaborations since they seem to be embarking on a comprehensive managerial search rather than only handing the reins to Espada.
Three decades of professional experience between Espada, Young, and Weiss as players and coaches means that whoever manages Minute Maid Park next season will inherit a club that still has World Series expectations attached to it. You may learn more about the other applicants who might be able to get an interview with Brown and Crane here.
