Espada a candidate for managerial jobs
BOSTON — Astros bench coach Joe Espada has spoken with “some teams” regarding managerial openings, manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Hinch declined to specify the clubs that have courted his 43year-old assistant. Six major league teams are searching for new managers, including the Rangers and Angels within the American League West.
Espada has been linked to both openings. The Orioles and Blue Jays — two teams in the American League East, where Espada spent three seasons as the Yankees third-base coach — are also in need of a skipper.
“I’ve talked to a number of teams on his behalf,” Hinch said of his bench coach, a fast-rising, affable former second-round draft pick who has no managerial experience.
Formerly the Yankees’ thirdbase coach and infield coach, Espada replaced Alex Cora this offseason.
“(Espada) has a lot of the same aspects Alex did,” Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. “Experience playing the game, experience in the trenches, coaching in an organization with a good manager. Bilingual, bicultural, really good understanding of traditional aspects of the game as well as the new aspects of the game. A good package overall.”
Should Espada depart the organization, Hinch will search for his third bench coach in as many seasons. Trey Hillman left after 2016 to manage in Japan, and Cora was named Red Sox manager during the 2017 World Series run.
“If I’m going to have to hire a bench coach every year, it’s going to get a little old,” Luhnow joked. “A lot of credit goes to A.J. He does a great job of developing our coaches … It’s flattering that organizations come to us for potential managers.”
Cora maneuvered interviews throughout the Astros’ postseason run last season, lending some sort of blueprint for the strategy the Astros must employ as Espada does the same.
Boston announced Cora’s hiring days before Game 1 of the 2017 World Series but did not formally introduce him at a press conference until the World Series concluded.
“Going through it last year, I don’t want to say we’re experts at it, but we’re experienced,” Hinch said.
“It’s a credit to a lot of our coaches that have moved onto other teams. We haven’t had a continuous staff for a couple years, we’ve maintained a very good group, but a lot of people are going onto bigger and better jobs and that’s not a surprise.”
Keuchel, Morton set to start Games 3, 4
Unless “Armageddon hits,”
Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton will start Games 3 and 4 of the AL Championship Series at Minute Maid Park, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
“They’ll be available (in Game 2) if Armageddon hits and we play a historically long playoff game,” Hinch quipped. “I don’t want to jinx that.”
Because of the Astros’ threegame sweep against Cleveland in the ALDS, Morton has not pitched since Sept. 30. He’s thrown just 15 innings since Sept. 1, rest afforded after shoulder discomfort sidelined the 34-yearold righthander during the second half of a career year.
In a season where he had 200 strikeouts for the first time as a professional, Morton threw 167 innings — his most since tossing 171 ⅔ in 2011 with the Pirates.
“Morton has had long layoffs before, last year in the playoffs we had guys with longer layoffs,” GM Jeff Luhnow said. “I think at