Longtime Hinch friend Espada to become new bench coach
Astros manager A.J. Hinch’s relationship with his new righthand man dates to 1996, when he was drafted in the third round by the Oakland Athletics.
Joe Espada, who will replace Alex Cora as the Astros’ bench coach, was the A’s second-round pick that same year.
“I’ve got a long history with him,” Hinch said Friday. “I’ve really respected and appreciated his approach as a coach. I’ve stayed in touch with him through the years, and I’ve watched him go from a minor league coach to a coordinator to a major league third-base coach and then change organizations and be the Yankees’ third-base coach the last few years.
“He’s a tireless worker, will connect well with players, is inching toward being a managerial candidate down the road. He has all of these qualities that we feel like will (make for) a seamless transition to come on this staff, and I’m excited to have him.”
Before the Yankees hired Espada entering the 2015 season, he spent a year as a pro scout for New York. He was the thirdbase coach for the Marlins from 2010-13. He also coached on the staff for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, which featured Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.
As a player, Espada reached Class AAA but never made the majors. He played in the minors for the A’s, Royals, Marlins, Rockies, Cardinals and Rangers.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Friday he couldn’t comment on any other impending staff changes aside from the team’s hire of Espada. As was reported Thursday, assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell is leaving the Astros to become the San Francisco Giants’ hitting coach.
Options picked up on Altuve, Gonzalez
General manager Jeff Luhnow announced Friday the Astros will pick up the 2018 club options on Jose Altuve, their superstar second baseman, and Marwin Gonzalez, their invaluable everyday super utility man.
The announcement was a formality. Altuve, who has arguably the most team-friendly contract in baseball, will make $6 million next season, the penultimate year under the contract extension he signed in July 2013. He has a $6.5 million option for 2019.
Gonzalez will make $5.125 million next season, the final year he’s under contract before qualifying for free agency.
The Astros have nine players who will be eligible for salary arbitration this winter. Ace lefthander Dallas Keuchel and catcher/designated hitter Evan Gattis are arbitration eligible for a third and final time. Righthanders Lance McCullers Jr., Brad Peacock and Ken Giles are set to go through the arbitration process for the first time.
Free agents can sign with teams for 2018 and beyond beginning Monday.
The Astros have six players who will become free agents: designated hitter Carlos Beltran, outfielder Cameron Maybin, catcher Juan Centeno and relievers Luke Gregerson, Francisco Liriano and Tyler Clippard.
Hinch ‘kidnaps’ World Series trophy
The Astros’ World Series trophy will change hands countless times, but manager A.J. Hinch was the first to take it home Thursday night after the team landed back in Houston late in the afternoon.
“I slept by it,” Hinch said Friday before the team’s championship parade. “I called (Astros GM) Jeff (Luhnow) actually on the way home and I said, ‘Listen, I’ve got the trophy in case there’s some sort of issue. But I took it over to some really close friends of ours and their kids got to see it, my kids got to see it. My kids got to see it on the stage in L.A., which was cool.
“But I drove it around. I took it this morning to breakfast with Phil Garner. That was a good experience for me. I know this trophy’s going to get passed around. I sort of hijacked it for the first night because I was the last one in the clubhouse last night. I just happened to walk by it and said, ‘I’m going to take it.’ I asked for forgiveness after I took it. But it was cool.”
Acknowledging the unheralded
Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch took time Friday to credit the behind-the-scenes work by those instrumental in the Astros’ success.
Luhnow shouted out the team’s training staff, its strength and conditioning coaches and its doctors for keeping the players healthy.
Hinch acknowledged major league scouting supervisor Chris Young, manager of major league advance information Tom Koch-Weser and coordinators of major league advance information Matt Hogan and Antonio Padilla for helping the team prepare for the Dodgers.