Veteran manager Dusty Baker replaces AJ Hinch as the Houston Astros boss

Dusty Baker has been hired to replace AJ Hinch as the manager of the Houston Astros.

The team announced the hiring on Wednesday and said Baker will be introduced in Houston on Thursday.

The 70-year-old became the oldest manager in the big leagues. Hinch was fired Jan. 13 just an hour after he was suspended for the season by Major League Baseball for his role in Houston's sign-stealing scandal.

"Throughout his successful career, Dusty has embodied the qualities that we were looking for in a manager," Astros owner Jim Crane said in a statement. "He's a winner, and more importantly, a strong leader who has earned the respect of not only his players, but of virtually everyone that he has touched in baseball. We're extremely excited to name Dusty as the new leader of our ballclub."

Baker's hiring was a sign the AL champions wanted to add a veteran presence to a franchise reeling from the dismissal of Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. Baker has 22 years of managerial experience, starting in 1993 with the San Francisco Giants.

A three-time National League Manager of the Year, Baker last managed the Washington Nationals, who let him go after a 97-65 season in 2017.

"I'm extremely thankful for this opportunity," Baker said. "This is a great ballclub with outstanding players that know how to win. I applaud Jim Crane for the leadership he has shown in recent weeks and look forward to working with him and the players to bring a championship to the city of Houston."

Baker has served since 2018 as a special adviser to Giants CEO Larry Baer, working in both the baseball and business operations of the club. He regularly attended son Darren's college games at the University of California in Berkeley.

Baker will get a chance to chase his first title as a manager with a team that returns the bulk of its roster from last year that reached the World Series for the second time in three years before losing to the Nationals.

His hiring is a stark departure from the youth-oriented recent history of the Astros, who hired Hinch when he was just 41. Baker takes over a team that should be a favorite to contend again after winning 100-plus games in three straight seasons.

But it will also be a challenge for a man who hasn't managed for two seasons and will have to deal with the fallout from the sign-stealing saga that is certain to cast a pall over Houston's quest to return to the World Series.