Astros bench coach Joe Espada is no longer a candidate to become the next White Sox manager, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports. Espada was reportedly a finalist for the Marlins’ job before Miami hired Skip Schumaker earlier this week, and he hasn’t been linked to the Royals, the only other team still looking for a new manager. As a result, it looks like Espada will again come up short in a bid for his first Major League managerial job, after previously being considered by such teams as the Mets, Giants, Athletics, Twins, and Cubs over the last few seasons.
The 47-year-old Espada has been Houston’s bench coach for the last five seasons, the Yankees’ third base coach/infield coach from 2015-17, and the Marlins’ third base coach from 2010-13. Prior to his first big league posting, Espada also worked as a coach and coordinator for several years in the Marlins farm system. There has been speculation that the Astros might’ve been grooming Espada to step into their managerial post if Dusty Baker wasn’t retained or if the 73-year-old Baker decided to retire, but since Houston is reportedly interested in bringing Baker back in 2023, Espada might have to wait at least one more year if the Astros job is indeed a possibility.
Espada, Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, and former White Sox and Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen are the only candidates confirmed to have interviewed for the White Sox job. Reports surfaced last week that the Sox had interest in speaking with Guillen about a possible return, and NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien reported that Guillen’s interview took place last Monday.
Beyond that trio, interim manager Miguel Cairo and Braves third base coach Ron Washington were also known to be under consideration, though it isn’t known if the Sox have actually spoken with either candidate. One would imagine Cairo has already met with the team at some point in the last few weeks, since as Merkin notes, White Sox GM Rick Hahn said during his season wrap-up press conference on October 3 that Cairo would get an interview.
With this uncertainty still surrounding the search, it isn’t known if the White Sox have any other interviews lined up, or if they’re approaching any sort of “finalist” stage. It is possible the Sox might be waiting until the World Series is over (or at least for the Series’ scheduled off-days on October 30 or November 3) to make an official announcement, if they are indeed close to a decision.
So Ozzie is IN or what?!??
It seemed crazy at first, but so did hiring LaRussa. You never know with JR.
It’s time for the Sox to give the job to Omar Vizquel.
Yeah obviously you don’t know Omar vizquel sexually harassed an autistic bat boy and the white sox settled with a confidential agreement. So yeah I would say No to having him as a manager.
I didn’t mean the managerial position. There are a couple jobs Omar is up for.
That’s still just gossip.. Nothing offcial.
One would think that if the White Sox were serious about bringing back Ozzie as their next manager they wouldn’t have been so quick to cancel SoxFest this winter. Just saying…
Why God? Why can’t the Sox ever get anything right?
Espada seems like the right choice here. Is he a crappy interview? Davey Martinez went through the same thing.
so has sandy alomar. several times.
Nobody likes him tho. So what’s the loss?
don’t blame me.
We had a Seat At The Table
“As a result, it looks like Espada will again come up short…”
——
Cruel, man, cruel.
If they bring back Ozzie, I think I might be done, at least until Jerry leaves this earth.
Oh noes, RWBlueshirts (might) be done. Not that!
I may convert just an excuse to watch his post-game loss interviews.
“I’m the Charlie Sheen of baseball minus the drugs and the prostitutes.” – O.G.
The kicker was they saw him eating a pumpkin. So they were right to conclude: “Cheater, CHEATER, pumpkin eater!!”
I think you’re out of your gourd.
Its possible Espada or the Astros declined to let him interview a second time while the team is trying to win a championship or maybe the White Sox wanted an answer now and Espada didn’t want the distraction. Maybe the Astros promised him the job if Dusty retires. Who knows…
“The 47-year-old Espada has been Houston’s bench coach for the last five seasons, the Yankees’ third base coach/infield coach from 2015-17, and the Marlins’ third base coach from 2010-13.”
For what it’s worth, that means Joe Espada was coaching under then Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen in 2012. Guillen still appears to be in the running for his second gig as White Sox manager after meeting with owner Jerry Reinsdorf and interviewing with GM Rick Hahn last week.
This White Sox fan was not happy with the second coming of Tony La Russa to the southside and will be equally pissed with the another Guillen hiring.
I’ve said it more than once and I’ll say it again. Rick Renteria should not have been fired following the abbreviated 2020 season when he helped navigate this emerging young team to its first postseason appearance since 2008. He deserved to finish out the remaining year of his contract after helping orchestrate the development of a talented young roster for 4 seasons. Had he been retained in 2021 it’s entirely conceivable the White Sox would not be in their current mess. One thing is fairly certain. The players would have at least shown a pulse on the field and the clubhouse would have been much more harmonious.
No they won’t. I’m a Sox fan for over 45 years. We want Ozzie back. That’s a majority fan base fact. All you other outsiders we could care less if you like him or not. He’s a winner. He demands hustle and he makes no excuses.
I’m a White Sox fan and think bringing Ozzie back is a terrible idea. It would be interesting to see a fan poll.
Here’s a recent poll result (October 28th) from White Sox fans conducted by White Sox beat writer James Fegan via The Athletic:
Joe Espada 56.3%
Ozzie Guillen 12.8%
Ron Washington 8.4%
Joe Maddon 4.3%
Matt Quatraro 3.9%
A.J. Pierzynski 2.9%
Scott Merkin 2.1% (Sox MLB beat writer, lol)
Pedro Grifol 1.4%
Jim Thome 1.4%
Other 6.5%
This was a comprehensive poll that also asked Sox fans to answer many other questions relating to their ideal candidate. It was also conducted after Bruce Bochy accepted the Rangers managerial position. I suspect Bochy would have ranked at least #2 in the poll had it been conducted earlier.
The Athletic requires a subscription but here is the link to the entire article and poll anyway: theathletic.com/3736641/2022/10/28/white-sox-manag…
Wrong. He’s a**hat that got lucky once. Just like Kenny Williams and JR.
And. I don’t know even 1 Sox fan that wants Ozzie anywhere near the team.
here’s 1.
I LOVE Ozzie, but there’s a valid reason why he’s not managing anymore.
I’ll never understand what it is about Chicago that makes sports franchises so risk adverse and terrified of new ideas and concepts. Check that, I do know why—to many old people with outdated ways of thinking making sports related decisions for the teams. Jerry needs to stay out of it (for once!) and let the GM higher the manager HE wants.
Excuse the va misspellings, my iPhone is a prankster.
“He’s a winner” – except for when he wasn’t winning. Like the end of his White Sox tenure. Then the disaster in Miami.
He’s won before. And he’s lost before. If he were “a winner”, he’d have been managing any time in the last 10 years. Instead, he lost too many games, and opened his mouth one too many times.
Wasn’t Renteria a crappy in-game manager that got magnified in the playoffs though?
..and LaRussa wasn’t? At least Renteria could hide behind lack of experience.
Renteria managed 3 freaking playoff games and won one, the same amount TLR did a year later with a more “experienced” team. Renteria’s didn’t manage a team capable of having a winning record until the abbreviated 2020 season when he got the White Sox into the postseason.
Renteria’s prior big league managerial experience was overseeing the final year of the Cubs rebuild in 2014 and then navigating the entire White Sox rebuild after replacing Robin Ventura following the 2016 season.
Renteria was originally hired by the White Sox to be Ventura’s bench coach after the Cubs replaced him with Joe Maddon ahead of the 2015 season. Maddon had a two week window to opt out of his Tampa managing gig following the 2014 season because of a clause that tied him to then Rays GM Andrew Friedman who left to take the Dodgers top job. Theo Epstein took advantage of that window and hired Maddon but wanted Renteria to remain with the Cubs based on his strong work developing the first wave of Cubs prospects.
With all due respect Aaron. Shoulda’ coulda’ woulda…Renteria is gone, I agree that he should not have been jettisoned (and such an action may have cost the Sox their locker room in terms of trust with the org) but what is done is done. As for Espada… I think people forget he was in the Astros org during the cheating and Im guessing that may be following him around still (either fairly or unfairly) The Sox need a butt kicker to get this team headed in the right direction as its clear letting the patients run the asylum did not work. Now… is that Guillen? I’m not sure of anything anymore after the last two seasons and the lack of want(heart) from this club in that time, but they need to start somewhere. Gulllen has baggage, but that was over 10 years ago and I think people need to get over it. If he can have free reign over the team and not have to worry about KW making a bonehead personnel moves like in the past (yeah that’s right, I do not think you can solely blame Ozzie for lack of success after the WS) then maybe just maybe he does well.
Joe Espada didn’t join the Astros until 2018, the season after Houston won their ‘tainted’ 2017 World Series title. He was still in the Yankees organization in 2017.
Espada joined the Astros in 2018 and replaced Alex Cora as A.J. Hinch’s bench coach. Cora was hired to manage the Red Sox in 2018. Espade served under Hinch for two seasons. He was retained as Dusty Baker’s bench coach in 2020 after Houston dismissed Hinch following the prolonged MLB investigation into the 2017 scandal. Cora was also implicated in that scandal along with another that followed him to Boston.
My bad, I misread the dates in the article. However there must have been something to turn off both the Sox and Marlins from wanting to hire him.. Maybe he was not absolute about leaving the Astros? Not sure.
they didn’t think Renteria could take the Sox to the next level. Renteria did that and he might have taken them beyond the wc round in 2021 if Reinsdorf hadn’t gone over Rick Hahn’s head and hired his buddy LaRussa to improve upon what Renteria had done. Jerry, you’re an idiot.
My recollection of the Renteria firing was that it was actually done by Rick Hahn soon after the White Sox were eliminated by the A’s in the postseason. Hahn fired Renteria and long time pitching coach Don Cooper simultaneously. It wasn’t until some time later when the Tony La Russa hiring was made official, a move that was clearly orchestrated by owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Most reports suggested that Hahn wanted a more analytic minded skipper with fired Astros manager A.J. Hinch at the top of his wish list.
That is correct Aaron.
Speaking of taking the White Sox “to the next level”, what exactly has Rick Hahn done since Rick Renteria finally helped manage his team to a winning record and the postseason in 2020? Hahn demonstrated that he was excellent in trading off veteran pieces like Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana for impacting top prospects. Thus far, Hahn has proven he can’t do the opposite effectively which not only includes his acquisitions since 2020 but also those made when he was the GM prior to the hiring of Renteria when he famously told Jerry Reinsdorf and Kenny Williams the organization was “mired in mediocrity” shortly after HE orchestrated the infamous James Shields/Fernando Tatis Jr. trade.
Yeah, Hahn is not exactly the best in FA, every once in a while he hits, but thats not good enough. However, Hahn does not have the checkbook that guys like Cashman have had over their career either. Kinda hard to build a team for the playoffs when you have bargain basement money to play with. That being said, he also gave extensions to guys who also have happened to also have a litany of injuries afterward and spent a lot of time on the bench (make of that coincidence what you will). As for the Tatis trade.. Again, Tatis was not the guy that appeared until well after the Sox traded him, so as much as I want to hammer him on that, I think its a bit hard on Hahn to do.
You’re right about the Tatis trade. No one and mean NO one knew that Tatis would turn out like he did. Now he cheated so we will have to see how history treats him.
Hahn is a mediocre GM but that trade shouldn’t be such a big topic.
Sadly, Sox fans have been screaming for him for years. I don’t understand it but everyone over asked says it’s because he won a world series. You don’t see Royals fans screaming to bring back Ned Yost……
What part of signal-gate did he play? How else does he keep getting passed up? Doesn’t seem right…
Guess Jerry is gonna bring back Guillen and then Ventura!
No fool. Ventura never won anything. Ozzie got us the ring. Ozzie handled bullpens as good as anyone, going through 3 different closers in 2005. Ventura looked lost managing.
There’s a huge difference between the two.
I was joking, but your team having amazing talent yet hiring managers from before Y2K is the real joke.
Renteria got fired for the way he managed the 2020 postseason series. He was doing his best to imitate the man he was fired for on the North side after 2014.
Please refresh our memories regarding Rick Renteria’s poor decisions during his only opportunity to manage a playoff series, a three game set that he lost 2-1 to a far more experienced and seasoned postseason manager in Bob Melvin. Here’s my recollection:
The White Sox won game behind an outstanding performance from ace Lucas Giolito. He beat southpaw Jesús Luzardo, a pitching choice made by Melvin that came under fire because the White Sox had totally dominated left-handed pitchers with a batting order that leaned heavily right-handed. White Sox lineup balance remains an issue as we post with GM Rick Hahn still unable to solve their problem more than two years later.
The White Sox lost game two with their only other 2020 ‘ace’ on the mound, the still good version of Dallas Keuchel. You might recall the remainder of the 2020 White Sox rotation consisted of a still very young and WILDLY inconsistent Dylan Cease, untested rookie Dane Dunning and Reynaldo Lopez before he had his eyes fixed. Carlos Rodon was still the injured version of himself before finally becoming the 2021 ace the team thought they were getting when they drafted him #3 back in 2014. You might also recall that top starting pitching prospect Michael Kopech had opted out of the 2020 season due to ‘personal’ issues.
In the decisive game three, Renteria opted to roll with Dunning who had been pitching much better down the stretch than Cease. Dunning retired two of the four hitters he faced. The two who reached had line singles to the outfield. A’s lefty slugger Matt Olson was due up next so Renteria opted to replace Dunning with rookie southpaw sensation Garrett Crochet who proceeded to fan the A’s slugger. Crochet started the second inning with another SO but had to leave the game with an arm issue. Crochet was replaced by southpaw setup reliever Aaron Bummer who retired the next two batters which preserved the scoreless tie. The White Sox erupted for 3 runs off of Frankie Montas in the top of the third. Bummer ran into trouble in the bottom of the third but was bailed out by another rookie relief sensation, Codi Heuer. The lack of SP depth finally caught up with the White Sox in the bottom of the fourth when Heuer allowed a 2-run HR to Sean Murphy. Renteria replaced Heuer with Rodon and then Matt Foster who each struggled, allowing the A’s to take the lead 4-3. The White Sox tied the game in the fifth but reliever Evan Marshall relinquished it by allowing two runs in the bottom half. The White Sox wound up losing 6-4 with basically a bullpen game. You might recall the bullpen was their strength in 2020 without all the expensive relievers Hahn would start adding the following offseason. Liam Hendriks wound up saving the A’s game three victory while White Sox 2022 reliever Jake Diekman did likewise for Oakland in their game two win.
We want Ozzie! And Ozzie would bring in AJ Pierzynski as bench coach to be his replacement in 3-4 years.
Chuck Garfein new bench coach
Chuck Garfien bench coach
Chris Getz
Did not know Houston Astros have cheerleaders. Totally jazzed.
Ozzie is definitely the best guy for this job.
The White Sox post game shows were hilarious with Ozzie shaking his head because he couldn’t figure out any of Tony’s “strategic”moves this past season. Especially walking guys with a 1-2 count on them. But if he is brought back the guy responsible for the closed captions in the post game interviews will quit.
Oz told it like it was with the Sox on the pre– and post game shows, like the players not hustling down the line. he knew what was wrong with the team (LaRussa) and he said it. his knowledge of the game and the Sox is second to none.
Estrada replacing dusty after this season hopefully
I think you’re right which is playing into this White Sox ‘story’. Joe Espada has paid his dues as the Astros bench coach for 5 seasons, 2 with A.J. Hinch AFTER the 2017 scandal and 3 more with current skipper Dusty Baker.
My best guess is that Baker will retire on top following the postseason if the Astros win the World Series. It would earn Baker his second WS ring but first as a manager. Espada, who is well respected by the organization and players, will then take over the reigns as Houston’s next manager.
Eric Estrada?
And once again, the White Sox make a stupid decision. Baseball is steeped in tradition, but this one tradition I wish would change.
Reinsdorf has no interest in bringing back Terry Bevington too?
Just.. stop…., comparing Guillen to a clown like Bevington I mean cmon..
this team never ceases to surprise me.
it totally makes sense to not want to hire a coach from a team that wins in favor of a coach who you previously jettisoned to the marlins or a guy from the 65-97 royals.
genius.
To be fair KW did that. I get that Ozzie was not absolved of fault in that situation, especially with his kids tweeting, but KW made a lot of moves that definitely made it hard for Ozzie to win.
KW somehow has the goods on Jerry. Have no idea otherwise how he has the job.
Espada was there during the cheating in the Astros Org. Im guessing that factored into why the Marlins and Sox are not bringing him in. As for the Royals Bench boach? He Must come cheap for him to be considered… There is Ozzie, and Im not sure who else? Maddon? Hard Pass.. Alomar Jr? If he was that good he would be managing somewhere already.
Espada was with the Yankees in 2017.
Espada with Houston now and Philly fans claiming Astros pitcher Valdez cheating.
Guilty by association evidently.
Again, my bad, I misread the dates in the article on Espada.
And being on the 2017 Astros hasn’t stopped anyone from getting hired. Hinch was hired within minutes of his suspension ending. Nobody cares about what Houston was doing in 2017, as most of the league was doing it.
The Roster is terrible Defensively.
I’m steering clear while Grandal is on the roster. Cant win w him as your starting catching. No chance.
You need a catcher, half an infield and 2 corner outfielders. Eloy is a DH. 5 of the 9 fielders are an abomination.
Hendrik is not South Side Material either. This team stinks. Who would want the job.
Most of what you’re saying is correct. However Hendriks fits in nicely. They need a keystone man and the corner outfielders. I believe Moncada or Burger gets the job done at third. Look for them to sign a left fielder with the Abreu money and promote a right fielder. Either a free agent 2b man that won’t break the bank or Mendick will get the job. 90 wins.
Ozzie. he’s been saying that for years. grandal is the worst catcher I have ever seen. he can’t hit and his catching has reached a new level of incompetency. the Sox got him because he was good at framing the ball. not his offense or defense. every catcher in MLB can frame the pitch. and it McCann caught more games than grandal in 2020 including giolito’s no-hitter.
Might as well hire Hawk to be there GM. At least make it a complete joke.
Baseball needs someone like Ozzie
Maybe Joe Madden or Joe Girardi on a one year deal.
Is the manager’s job a two-horse race: Cairo and Ozzie? Cairo represents JR cheaping out big time but telling the world the Sox have hired the game’s brightest young manager. Ozzie is JR going full on Cher and trying to turn back time.
If as has been speculated the Sox will only tinker with the roster this offseason because of so many bloated and lazy contracts, then it hardly makes sense to bring in some true up and comer, like Espada, who gets his first gig as manager as the players would eat him for breakfast.
Still, Ozzie? When was the last time he managed? Hasn’t he been out of the dugout as long as La Russa was when he was brought back? Sure Ozzie is a generation younger than TLR, but as a manager, wasn’t he a spent force a long time ago when he quit on the Sox and then added another ring to the circus in Miami?
Ozzie really shouldn’t be the next manager, but as Hahn still has his job and the trainers and medicos theirs, and with most of the bummy players expected to be back, why not Ozzie? Ozzie being hired would signal to me that the team isn’t doing much to right itself after the disastrous ’22 season.
Ending on a positive note, I’ll take Ozzie over Cairo any day of the week. The entertainment value alone is huge.
John Gibbons
I kept hearing Phillies hitting coach, Kevin Long being mentioned as Sox manager. Now nothing.
I’m alright with Espada not getting the job. I’m not so much an Ozzie fan but wouldn’t hate it but now with some guys getting hired my choice would be Ron Washington. Yeah, he’s 70 years old but we’re only talking a 3 year contract here and by then, if not sooner, we will know if the Sox window is still open or slammed shut. I’d be fine with Kevin Long too. Please don’t let it be Grifol or even Cairo. Need to let go of the TLR regime.
In addition to no Cairo, the coaches need to go to. The org seems pretty high on Katz, so maybe he stays. Boston and Wavin’ Joe have to go if only for the optics: I am tired of seeing their faces. Is Nails out of a jail? If not, maybe the club can get him an early release if they promise him a job and keep close tabs on him. Dykstra as a hitting coach. He was a guy who always got his money’s worth at the plate. More walks than Ks lifetime, baby.
Yes, clean ’em all out! Even the training staff. I too am fine if Katz stays but if I’m the new manager I’d like to pick my own staff rather than have management dictate who’s to stay. If the new guy is smart he would automatically keep Katz.
I don’t know if Katz is even a right fit, I see these pitchers doing better, but then regress or apparently not adapt always to what hitters are obviously adjusting to (especially against playoff caliber teams).
You know it’s bad when you get passed over in favor of one candidate who is a self admitted admirer of Fidel Castro and the other is a self admitted drug user.
The Sox had a guy (Renteria) with ‘little’ experience, but made progress after suffering through a rebuild with the Sox (same as with the Cubs) then the Sox go and jettison him before seeing if he can grow with the team and learn from his missteps. Then they go and get LaRussa, the ‘proven’ guy with all sorts of accolades, only to see him fail at getting the most out of this team (and also getting quickly knocked out of the playoffs and not making it the next year). I’m not sure what is going to happen, but my expectations for this club are the lowest since the ‘rebuild’ started (if not lower, like when Ventura was mismanaging this club). There is a ton work work to do here, I think there are things that will, on paper, help the Sox get better, but there still is this stubborn ‘heart’ (or lack thereof) issue the club has with certain players and whoever is going to manage this club has to have the authority, and nerve, to either get these players ‘on board’ or get them out of the locker room.
I think Renteria probably got a bad deal by the Sox brass but has he had a baseball job since the Sox let him go? I don’t think he’s on any staff anywhere. Course, that could be what he wants, I have no idea.
Espada must be terrible at interviews. Dave Martinez was like this to – seemingly interviewed for every job, took forever to finally get hired. They should take a Dale Carneigie course or something.
Maybe I’m nuts but I actually think Ozzie might be a good choice. I know I can very well end up eating these words down the road if he does get the job. Ozzie loves the game, he loves the White Sox and he’s nothing like Tony. I enjoy him on the pre and post game shows and can only hope he’s grown as a person since he’s been out of mlb. Perhaps a little older and wiser but just as he will run his mouth he also won’t bs anyone. I at least don’t believe he’s the worst choice.
Ozzie’s personality got him trouble in the dugout, on numerous occasions and with multiple teams. His personality and candor makes him a natural for fit for tv, and that is where he belongs.
Ozzie would be a Billy Martin type move. Come in and shake up things for a year. But things would probably blow upon in year two.
So I was sitting in antique taco in Bridgeport and who comes waking in but Ozzie Guillen himself. So after he ordered four tacos I had to ask him if he will be the next soxs manager . He laughed asked if I wanted a taco and said no way man. He said the front runners are Brent Morel and Dayan Viciedo. Wow !!!! You heard it here first
Morel hasn’t been involved with MLB in five or six years. Viciedo is under a multi-year contract to a NPP team. This confirms it’s Ozzie.
How was the taco?