The 2025 Houston Astros failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. After an unprecedented run of success and a campaign they would likely prefer to forget, Houston could look to reunite with a familiar face.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently suggested that the club could check in with former manager A.J. “Hinch and seek a reunion in the event that the Detroit Tigers do not finalize a contract extension with the skipper.
“The Tigers plan to give manager A.J. Hinch a contract extension. The deal was close to being finalized a few weeks ago, but with the Tigers’ collapse, the timing simply wasn’t right,” Nightingale wrote.
“The deal should be consummated after the postseason, but in the meantime, if the Astros indeed are looking for a manager, they could touch base for a possible reunion.”
The Astros could look to part ways with both manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown. Of the two, Espada’s job might be in greater jeopardy.
“One Astros executive, when asked by USA TODAY Sports whether they could be dismissed – with Brown having a club option that has yet to be picked up – simply said that all departments, on the baseball and business side, are currently being evaluated,” Nightingale wrote.
“Espada’s job security would seem more tenuous than Brown’s.”
Hinch managed the Astros from 2015 to 2019. During his time in Houston, he led the team to a 481-329 record as well as two American League crowns and one World Series title. He was dismissed by the Astros in 2020 due to the the sign-stealing scandal that has caused many fans and pundits to view the Astros’ success through a different lens.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Astros will choose to make drastic structural changes, but it is possible that Hinch could return to the Space City.
