By Damon Knight, Tribune Correspondent
The Houston Astros’ reputation in the last 24-hours has been in tainted-waters after recent allegations linked them to a sign-stealing scandal. League investigations confirmed the Astros used a camera-based sign-stealing system during the regular season and in the playoffs when they won the 2017 MLB World Series and in parts of the 2018 season. During a league ruling on Monday, the MLB suspended both Astros’ general manager Jeff Luhnow, 53, and manager AJ Hinch, 45, for the entire 2020 season. Astros’ owner Jim Crane, 63, then fired both Luhnow and Hinch after Crane said the team wanted to go beyond that ruling. “Neither one of them started this, but neither one of them did anything about it,” Crane said. He added: “We need to move forward with a clean slate.” Crane said that he did not think the Astros’ World Series title in 2017 was “tainted.”
Due to being guilty of the allegations, the Astros lost both their first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and in 2021. It also fined them $5 million, which is a league record. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN says, “The MLB has stated if Luhnow or Hinch “engage in any future material violations” of MLB rules, they will be placed on the league’s permanently ineligible list.” Thankfully, there are coaches that are not on the permanently ineligible list that could be up for hire. They are according to usatoday.com:
– Joe Espada (currently Astros bench coach): The 44-year-old is considered a rising star and had multiple interviews for a managerial job this winter. Espada didn’t join the organization until after the 2017 season – so his hands are technically clean – but Crane (and the league) may feel more comfortable with an outside hire, particularly since MLB’s report was such an indictment on the club’s culture.
– Dusty Baker: Hiring a baseball man like Baker would give the organization some desperately-needed credibility right now. Baker, 70, is one of the game’s most accomplished managers and though his teams have repeatedly come up short in the postseason, his experience dealing with big egos might be exactly what the Astros need.
– Buck Showalter: Another skipper with plenty of experience, Showalter could be a stabilizing force at this junction for Houston. He’s just one season removed from his last stint and was said to be a candidate for a few jobs this offseason.
– John Gibbons: The former Blue Jays manager is eager to get back in the game and is one of the few free agents with managerial experience. He’s a real players’ manager and oversaw some very good Toronto teams. Gibbons was raised and resides in San Antonio so the local roots are there and may be more willing to take the nearby job on a whim than some other candidates.
– Bruce Bochy: This one is unlikely considering Bochy is barely three months into “retired life,” but he hasn’t officially ruled out a return to the bench at some point. “I just hope I made the right decision,” Bochy told USA TODAY Sports in September. “I don’t want to be sitting around next summer wishing I was still managing. I want to be sure this is right.”
According to usatoday.com, “Crane said Monday they’ll be looking inside and outside the organization for replacements and hopes to have someone in place by spring training, which begins in less than a month. The Astros would have to get permission to speak with coaches who are currently employed elsewhere – a tall task considering the scorn the organization is facing.”
