Will Baker Manage Houston Astros Beyond 2023 Season?

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker may have an uncertain future with the club following the 2023 MLB season.

Kade Kistner | May 24, 2023

Will Baker Manage Houston Astros Beyond 2023 Season? /

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It seems almost a silly question to ask: Will Dusty Baker return to manage the Houston Astros in 2024?

But that is exactly what The Athletic looked at when Ken Rosenthal took a deep dive into each of the manager's situations around the league.

Baker is 258-174 as the manager of the Astros, has two World Series appearances and one championship. All in just three and a half seasons.

It's been an incredible run.

But owner Jim Crane is known to make splashy changes, take former general manager James Click for example. He built a dynasty and then was unceremoniously let go at the end of the 2022 World Series championship run.

Of course, there were differences between Crane and Click, as Rosenthal points out.

"Such a comparison might be unfair, considering how much the relationship between Crane and Click had deteriorated," writes Rosenthal. "Baker, who turns 74 next month, seemingly has no such conflicts with the owner, and has led the team to at least the ALCS in each of his three seasons. But if the Astros’ season ends in disappointment, Crane might prefer a fresh start."

Baker is getting older. 162 games is hard on anyone, whether you are actually taking the field or not. Additionally, the 74-year-old is a lock to enter the Hall of Fame.

If the tide is changing in the American League West, and Baker has little desire to return, perhaps the idea of a new manager in Houston next season isn't so far-fetched.

If the Astros want to see Baker come back in 2024, then another deep postseason run appears to be a must.

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Published May 24, 2023

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.