Mets to Consider Astros Coach Joe Espada for Managerial Role if Mickey Callaway is Fired
By Daniel Marcillo
Throughout the entirety of this roller coaster Mets season, there has been one looming question hanging over the proceedings.
When will Mickey Callaway lose his job?
Some may have thought the skipper would have gotten the sack way back during the first half of the season. It turns out, he's nearly made it the full 162. Should the Mets choose to move in a different direction, in the winter, however, Astros third base coach Joe Espada is expected to be on the Mets' list of candidates.
If the Mets change managers, one of the candidates likely to be considered is Astros coach Joe Espada.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 24, 2019
Espada has spent his coaching career working around the bigs with the Marlins and Yankees before shipping off to Houston, where he has spent the last two seasons. He has never been a manager before, much like Callaway before ascending to the top job in Queens.
The one promising thing about Espada is that he has worked under the tutelage of Joe Girardi and A.J. Hinch, both of whom are World Series winners. Notably, Alex Cora also spent time working under Hinch and ended up leading the Red Sox to a title one season ago as a managerial rookie himself.
Joe Espada is mentioned as a Padres managerial candidate here. The Astros bench coach interviewed last year with the Blue Jays and the Rangers. https://t.co/12NaPXop39
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) September 24, 2019
The Mets will not be the only team to chase Espada, who could quickly become a hot commodity on the market. Mickey Callaway's tenure in charge has been headlined by questionable moves and inconsistent play, so this situation could heat up in short order.