The Houston Astros will have more than a few distractions to deal with as they head into spring training and the 2020 season, and they are reportedly hiring an experienced manager to help navigate them through it.
Dusty Baker is expected to be named the next manager of the Astros, a person familiar with the hiring told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The deal had not been finalized as of Tuesday morning, but an agreement was in place.
Baker is a three-time National League Manager of the Year who is widely respected throughout baseball. He won three division titles in the last five years he managed with the Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. The 70-year-old has plenty of experience dealing with scandals, as well.
Baker was the manager of the San Francisco Giants when Barry Bonds set the single-season home run record with 73 moonshots. Bonds, of course, was wrapped up in the BALCO scandal at the time. Nightengale also reminds us that Bonds and Jeff Kent did not get along and once fought in the dugout, and Baker was able to keep the team together despite that.
If the Astros are going to contend in 2020, they will need to lean Baker’s experience. Baker recently spoke highly of the team and sounded like his interview went well, and apparently Houston executives are confident he is the man to lead the team during the most tumultuous time in franchise history.
Baker has a regular-season record of 1,863-1,636 and a playoff record of 23-32 in stints with the Nationals, Reds, Giants and Chicago Cubs.
