Report: Dusty Baker to interview for Astros manager job

The Houston Astros appear to be stepping up their efforts to hire a new manager.

According to Jon Morosi and Matt Kelly of MLB.com, the Astros are slated to interview Dusty Baker for their open managerial job on Monday. He joins ex-managers Buck Showalter and John Gibbons as well as Chicago Cubs third base coach Will Venable in interviewing for the position. The team’s bench coach, Joe Espada, is also a candidate.

The Astros’ search is progressing quickly, with full squad workouts roughly a month away. Owner Jim Crane has said the plan is to have a new manager in place by Feb. 3.

There would be some amusement in the Astros, who have long claimed to be one of the league’s most cutting edge organizations, interviewing a staunchly old-school manager in Baker. He would bring a track record of success, having gone 192-132 in his last stop with the Washington Nationals and 1863-1636 overall as an MLB manager. The New York Mets also reportedly have Baker on their shortlist, though there is no indication the two sides have spoken yet.