The Astros got a jumpstart on the offseason by hiring a new manager for the club, A.J. Hinch. As first reported by Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle, Hinch was selected as the Astros skipper early Monday afternoon when the other 
candidates were notified they were out of the running. Hinch fits all the criteria the Astros have been looking for in a manager, since he played catcher in the big leagues, has already managed at Arizona, has front office experience as a vice-president of scouting for San Diego, and is receptive to analytics & the evolving trends in the game.
“I am extremely excited to bring in A.J. as our new manager,” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said. “Throughout our process, we searched for a person with previous Major League experience, who could effectively lead our young, growing nucleus of talented players. I have no doubt that A.J. is the right person to do that. He brings experience as a Major League player, Major League manager & player development executive. His skillsets & leadership abilities will be enormous assets in our clubhouse & to our entire organization.”
The Astros are coming off a 70 win season, but they have a nucleus of good young talent, including MLB batting champ Jose Altuve, rookie phenom George Springer, home run hitting DH Chris Carter & young hurlers like Dallas Keuchel & Collin McHugh. More talent is on the way in the next couple of years, including the #1 prospect in the Astros system, Carlos Correa, and former #1 overall pick, RHP Mark Appel.
The Astros wanted an experienced manager who could bring along that talent & also field a competitive ballclub that embraces the modern technology the Astros employ. Hinch fits that bill, even though some might raise an eyebrow at his .420 winning percentage while he managed the Diamondbacks. The record can’t be ignored, but it was during a period of transition when the Diamondbacks were rebuilding & were hit by a lot of injuries, and he was learning on the job in his first ever managerial gig.
While some may question going the retread route when other trendy managerial candidates like Rays bench coach Dave Martinez, Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, Angels bench coach Dino Ebel, Astros interim manager Tom Lawless & Reno manager Phil Nevin were available, Astros GM Jeff Luhnow believes he can make a difference the second time around, describing to the media that his “whole package was very unique.” Hinch himself reiterated all the experience has helped him. “You learn a lot in this game everyday.”
The end of the Bo Porter tenure came amidst reports of communication problems with the general manager. Porter and Luhnow did not gel, and so the new hire was going to have to be someone Luhnow felt comfortable around, even if they do not see eye-to-eye on everything.
“He’s well rounded – understands my perspective,” said Luhnow at the press conference to introduce Hinch. Having good communication between the front office & the manager as well as between the manager & the clubhouse is essential for successful organizations. Hinch is now restoring that link that was severely strained between Porter & Luhnow.
While Porter walked into a situation where the Astros were undergoing a painful rebuild as the worst team in baseball, Hinch is coming in at a time when the organization is on the upswing & greater expectations are mounting. It may not be the “2017 World Series Champions” that Sports Illustrated predicted, but the Astros aren’t the league doormat anymore & will be expected to contend in the near future. For that Hinch is eager to immerse himself in the organization & bring back the feeling of contention
“I couldn’t be more excited to be the manager of the Houston Astros,” said Hinch following his hiring. “We have a lot of work to do to bring winning back to the city of Houston & Astros fans everywhere. I can’t wait to get started towards that goal today.”
