Houston Astros Manager Candidates: 7 Names to Consider

Houston, Texas - The Houston Astros are looking for a new manager after parting ways with Joe Espada. Now, the club must decide who will lead the Stros moving forward as they look to get back to the top of Major League Baseball. We're taking a look at a few candidates the Astros may look at to fill the vacancy.

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Astros Decide To Move On From Manager Joe Espada

It felt like only a matter of time before the Houston Astros officially moved on from Joe Espada. The mid-season firing of general manager Dana Brown was a major sign that changes were coming to the organization. With the team struggling and questions growing about its future, it became harder to see Espada returning for another season.

Espada spent nine years with the Astros as both a bench coach and manager. He took over as manager after Dusty Baker left following the 2023 season. However, the team is now moving in a new direction and will need to find the right person to lead the clubhouse.

The next manager of the Astros will have a big job ahead. Houston needs to figure out how to keep competing while also preparing for the future. The right hire could help the Astros get back on track, but the team must first decide what kind of leadership it needs most.

We've put together a realistic list of options where owner Jim Crane could turn to...

Candidates The Houston Astros Should Consider For Manager Job

Rocco Baldelli - Baldelli has already shown that he can lead a team to a successful season. He won 101 games with the Minnesota Twins in 2019 and was named American League Manager of the Year. He also led Minnesota to the playoffs in 2020 and helped the team win the American League Central in 2023. The Twins fired Baldelli after the team finished with a 70-92 record in 2025. He now works as a special assistant with the Dodgers.

Omar López - López is already familiar with the Astros clubhouse. He has been with the organization for more than 25 years and currently serves as the team's bench coach. He helped the Astros sign Altuve as a teenager and later worked as a minor league coach and manager. He joined Houston's big-league coaching staff in 2020. López also has experience leading teams on the international stage. He managed Venezuela to the World Baseball Classic title in 2026 and won a Puerto Rican winter league championship last offseason.

Danny Lehmann - Lehmann could be one of the most interesting names on Houston's list. He is the bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has helped the team win back-to-back World Series titles in that role. The 41-year-old also has ties to the Houston area. He played high school baseball at The Woodlands and later played at Rice University. Lehmann worked his way up through the Dodgers' coaching staff and was a finalist for the Atlanta Braves' managerial job last offseason.

Ryan Flaherty - Flaherty is another younger candidate who has been building his coaching career. He currently works on Craig Counsell's staff with the Chicago Cubs and previously worked with the San Diego Padres. Flaherty has learned from established managers and gained experience in several areas of the game. He was also a finalist for the Baltimore Orioles' managerial opening last offseason.

Rodney Linares - Linares has a long history with the Astros organization. He started working in Houston's minor league system at just 21 years old and later managed several of the team's minor league clubs. During that time, he worked with future Astros stars such as Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Alex Bregman. He is currently the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays. He has spent several years working under manager Kevin Cash and has been part of teams that won 99 games in 2023 and 98 games this season. His experience with both the Astros and Rays could make him a strong candidate.

David Ross - Ross is another former big-league manager who could get a look from Houston. He managed the Chicago Cubs from 2020 through 2023 after winning a World Series with the team as a player in 2016. Ross led Chicago to a division title during the shortened 2020 season. The Cubs finished 83-79 in 2023 before the team replaced him with Craig Counsell. Ross has spent time working as an analyst for ESPN and served as the United States' bullpen coach during the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Brad Ausmus - Ausmus is another familiar name for Astros fans. He played catcher for Houston for 10 seasons and has interviewed for the team's managerial job twice before. The 57-year-old has previous experience as a big-league manager with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. He led Detroit to 90 wins in his first season in 2014. Ausmus is now the bench coach for the New York Yankees, where he has spent the past three seasons.

There will likely be plenty of other names brought up as the Astros' managerial search continues over the next few weeks. Fastball on SI has already suggested two potential candidates for Houston to consider: former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and coach Daniel Descalso.