Longtime assistant coach Joe Espada has been named the new manager of the Houston Astros, according to General Manager Dana Brown.
Espada, 48, will be the 20th manager in franchise history and has several years of MLB coaching experience, including the last six with the Astros. In that stretch, Houston has won three AL pennants and a World Series. The team has appeared in 79 postseason games as well, which is the most in the league during that time.
Prior to joining Houston in 2018, Espasa was the third base coach for the New Yor Yankees for three seasons and four seasons before that with the Miami Marlins.
Espada also has managerial experience, coaching two different stints in the Puerto Rican Winter League with Manati (2012-2013) and Carolina (2014-2015). He was also the third base coach for Team Puerto Rico in two different World Baseball Classics (2013, 2017).
“We feel that Joe is a great fit to run our ballclub,” Brown said. “He has a great relationship with our players and staff and has been an integral part of the Astros success for several seasons. He knows the organization from top to bottom.
“Joe has a great baseball mind and has great passion and enthusiasm. He has been in the game for a long time, knows what it takes to win and has certainly earned this opportunity.”
Espada spent 10 seasons as an infielder in the minor leagues after being selected by Oakland in the second round of the 1996 MLB Amateur Draft. His playing career included stops in Oakland, Florida, Colorado, Kansas City, Texas, St. Louis, and Tampa Bay organizations. After playing, Espada began his coaching career with the Marlins minor league system in 2006. He spent four seasons in the minors before coaching third base for the Marlins beginning in 2010.
Espada is a native of Santurce, Puerto Rico, and will be just the second Latino manager in franchise history after Preston Gomez managed the team from 1974-1975.