The Houston Astros hired manager A.J. Hinch last offseason and saw tremendous results during the 2015 campaign: the club made the postseason for the first time since 2005 and notched its highest win total (86) since 2008.
Hinch will now reportedly be rewarded for his successful first season as the Astros' manager as the organization has "revised" his contract. The team has yet to confirm anything regarding such speculation.
According to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle, the two sides have agreed to a revised deal, which will guarantee Hinch more money and keep him with the team longer. The specific details have not yet been disclosed, but "one person familiar" with the talks said Hinch will be signed on through the 2018 season.
The 41-year-old signed a three-year contract with Houston last offseason, which included an option for 2018. The speculation of a revised deal seemingly mirrors what the Arizona Diamondbacks did with manager Chip Hale. Earlier this offseason it was initially reported that the two sides agreed to a contract extension, but it was later revealed that the D-Backs simply guaranteed Hale his 2017 option.
That's not official for the Astros and Hinch, but it's something to keep in mind as we wait for more details.
When asked about the subject, Hinch deferred reporters to general manager Jeff Luhnow, who said, "We're committed to A.J., and he's committed to us. We don't comment on contracts."
The up-and-coming Astros are clearly thrilled the former manager of the Diamondbacks fits their philosophy and works well with one of the youngest ball clubs in baseball. Luhnow has completely revamped the team since taking over as general manager in 2011 and he finally found a manager (he went through two full-timers and two interims over that span) to oversee his work.
Hinch finished second in the AL Manager of the Year voting and was defeated by Rangers manager Jeff Banister, who led Texas to their first division title since 2011 and helped them recover from their disastrous 2014 campaign (67-95) in his first year as skipper.
Stay tuned for updates on Hinch's contract.
