Will the Houston Astros hire from within to fill the manager position? Craig Biggio, the team's assistant to the general manager, is a prime candidate for the vacancy, but the team is keeping its options open with other coaches across the MLB.
The Houston Astros fired manager Bo Porter on Monday after nearly two dismal seasons with the team. Although the former MLB outfielder didn't have much to work with as the team was in the midst of a rebuilding process, his record was a combined 110-190, which was good enough for a last-place finish in the NL Central (2013) and a likely fourth-place finish in the AL West (2014). According to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, the Astros are considering five candidates after Porter's dismissal.
Astro's general manager Jeff Luhnow said he would be willing to consider those who interviewed for the position two years ago when Porter was hired. These candidates include Texas Rangers bench coach Tim Bogar, Tampa Bay Rays bench Coach Dave Martinez, Detroit Tigers third-base coach Dave Clark, Chicago White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing, and Houston Astros assistant to the general manager Craig Biggio. The most glaring candidate is Craig Biggio, who has spent his entire professional career with the Astros organization.
Biggio spent his 20-year playing career with Houston and is a Hall of Fame candidate after compiling a career .281 batting average with 1,844 runs scored, 291 home runs, 1,175 RBIs and 414 stolen bases. The trusted adviser to Luhnow obviously has an immense advantage being within the organization and interacting with the general manager every day, but would the team seriously consider hiring him? The Astros have been doing well in their rebuilding progression with Biggio working in the front office since 2008.
It would be a solid move, but things have seemingly been working out with Biggio working alongside Luhnow, and if it were to go wrong with him as the team's manager, potentially parting ways with him could create a bad breakup. Biggio is the team leader in hits (3,060), doubles (668), games played (2,850), and runs scored (1,844). Putting him in a managerial position with a young team and no previous professional coaching experience could be a daunting task for Biggio and there's a good chance it may not end well. However, Luhlow says he's willing to hire someone with no previous managing credentials, as he did with Porter.
"Once we identify our short-list of candidates, if they're on competitive playoff-caliber teams, it's going to be difficult to request permission," said Luhnow, in this MLB.com article. "We want to move quickly, but at the end of the day, we want to get it right."
The team will likely hire a candidate shortly after the season ends as they begin to plan for offseason transactions and spring training.
