A new report claims that the Houston Astros will soon have to start making plans to find a replacement for manager Dusty Baker on their bench.
On Monday night, the Houston Astros 2023 season came to a frustrating finish. After being down 2-0 in the American League Championship Series to the Texas Rangers, the team roared back to take a 3-2 series lead. However, they were bludgeoned by the Texas offense in Games 6 and 7 and sent home for the winter yesterday.
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While the Astros were unable to defend their championship for 2022, there were still many positives for them this season, and they will only need to make a few changes to maintain their spot as a perennial World Series contender in 2024. However, it seems they may have to do so without manager Dusty Baker.
- Dusty Baker record (Houston Astros): 320-226
Dusty Baker is not expected to return to Houston Astros in 2024
On Monday night, The Athletic reported “Dusty Baker has expressed to multiple people inside and outside of the Houston Astros organization that 2023 will be his final season as manager.” Baker was working on a one-year contract during the 2023 MLB season.
The 74-year-old joined the franchise during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. While he had an esteemed resume as a manager, he was dogged by the reputation of not being able to get over the championship hump during his tenures with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Washington Nationals.
However, the former MLB star was able to break through that glass ceiling in 2022 when he helped lead Houston to 106 wins and a World Series title.
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The Athletic reports that sources believe Baker would like to stay involved with the game on some level, and retirement was a likely option for some time. However, he did not make a public decision earlier because those close to him believed he “didn’t want the attention that would come with a farewell tour” and there is still a chance he could change his mind after the fog of failure subsides over the next few weeks.
If he does step away from the Astros, Baker would end his tenure with a 320-226 record, three trips to the playoffs, and one World Series title on his Houston resume.