Joe Espada Future Orioles Manager?

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

If Mike Elias takes the job, Joe Espada is a strong rumored candidate to be the Orioles next manager. What does everyone think of this? What do we know about this guy?

[DirtyBird]

How hard is it to be a baseball manager? You just make a lineup card and don't make dumb decisions.

[TGO]

He was a finalist for the Toronto job.

Coached in the Marlins system, was a pro scout with the Yankees, left to go back to coaching for the Astros. Bilingual (from Puerto Rico). Has managed several PR winter league teams.

[TonySoprano]

We know the kind of stuff that can be googled.  He's rumored because the beat writers are assuming he'd be a possible candidate due to his Houston connection with Elias.  Espada was the Marlins 3B coach 2010-13, then a SpecAsst for Cashman for a year, 3B coach for Girardi for 2 years, before the move to Houston this year. 

Quote

His name had been mentioned as one possibility to replace Girardi, fitting the bill as a younger, analytically inclined candidate who had a prior relationship with general manager Brian Cashman.

https://www.mlb.com/news/joe-espada-leaving-yanks-for-astros/c-260543762

If Elias is the GM, he's well aware of Espada and wouldn't need a formal interview except to discuss contract terms.

[NCRaven]

Just like we wanted John and Lou Angelos to look outside the system for a new top dog, I want Elias to go outside his comfort zone to consider a range of manager candidates.

[Yardball85]

2 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

Just like we wanted John and Lou Angelos to look outside the system for a new top dog, I want Elias to go outside his comfort zone to consider a range of manager candidates.

Apples and oranges.  We wanted John and Lou to look outside the organization because the options in the organization, like Brady, suck.  We wanted them to leave their comfort zone to find an analytics guy.  The same logic doesn't apply here.  In Elias' "comfort zone" is a very solid option in Espada.  If they hire him instead of looking at a ton of other options, it would be fine with me.  We brought in Elias and should trust his discretion.

[tntoriole]

13 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

How hard is it to be a baseball manager? You just make a lineup card and don't make dumb decisions.

Particularly if the bench coach monitors the OH game thread and relays our wise in game decisions to the manager....hey... we will be back in hog heaven real soon!

[ISU94]

18 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

Just like we wanted John and Lou Angelos to look outside the system for a new top dog, I want Elias to go outside his comfort zone to consider a range of manager candidates.

Ehh, you want a guy who has a similar mindset as far as what needs to be done. You want a guy who is behind the analytics side of things as well and won't fight you on that. I'd be extremely happy with a guy who is all aboard that train.

[Frobby]

I’d be fine with Espada.   But just because they were in the same organization doesn’t mean Elias knows him that well or that he has a high opinion of him.    So, we’ll see.

[wildcard]

Whoever is manager is going to  oversee a lot of players coming and going.  He should be a good developer of young players and he should be eternally optimistic because the O's are going to lose a lot in the next three years.

[raypetty]

Would could have another Alex Cora on our hands in a few year.

[Moose Milligan]

I said it a few days ago, I am looking at this next manager hire as a sacrificial lamb.  They're going to have to manage some brutal rosters.  There's a strong chance that they won't be the manager for the next O's playoff team, although if they're going to weather the storm for the next 3-4 seasons, they should be given every opportunity to manage a winner.

I'm cool with Espada.  Sounds like a good dude.  I just hope that he gets to see it through to the end.

[Dr. Unk]

27 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I said it a few days ago, I am looking at this next manager hire as a sacrificial lamb.  They're going to have to manage some brutal rosters.  There's a strong chance that they won't be the manager for the next O's playoff team, although if they're going to weather the storm for the next 3-4 seasons, they should be given every opportunity to manage a winner.

I'm cool with Espada.  Sounds like a good dude.  I just hope that he gets to see it through to the end.

Our next playoff team manager might not be born yet!   Semi kidding.  I'm kind of excited to see what happens now.

[Hallas]

10 hours ago, DirtyBird said:

How hard is it to be a baseball manager? You just make a lineup card and don't make dumb decisions.

I think the hardest parts involve keeping all your players happy and motivated while making a lineup card and refraining from dumb decisions.

[baltfan]

Another name to throw out there is maybe Carlos Beltran.  He interviewed for the Yankees job and has ties to Elias through Houston.