After their elimination from the American League Wild Card postseason round earlier this fall, the Houston Astros decided not to renew the contract of manager Joe Espada, who had been on the job since the start of the 2024 campaign.
And while there is a notable list of names that the Astros are considering as his official successor, one name jumped to the top in the familiarity rankings of Houston baseball fans.
According to Astros Insider Brian McTaggart, the club will be interviewing 2005 All-Star infielder Morgan Ensberg for the position of manager.
The Houston Astros Will Interview Former All-Star Morgan Ensberg For Their Vacant Manager Position
According to McTaggart, Ensberg will be interviewed for the position that was vacated by Espada.
“Source: the Astros will interview former Astros 3B Morgan Ensberg for their vacant managerial opening later this week,” McTaggart reported on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He is a former college teammate of GM Randy Flores and has spent the last three seasons managing the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rays.”
In addition to Ensberg, the Astros will also be interviewing former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star Albert Pujols.
Morgan Ensberg Is A Former Astros All-Star
Ensberg was taken by the Astros in the ninth round of the 1998 MLB Draft, and he broke out in 2005, hitting .283 with 36 home runs and 101 RBI as the Astros reached the World Series. He was added to the National League All-Star team as an injury replacement and won a Silver Slugger Award at third base.
Houston traded Ensberg to the San Diego Padres in July 2007. He later spent time with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians before signing with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009.
After being released during spring training, Ensberg retired following the season and began pursuing a career in broadcasting. He began coaching at UC San Diego in 2011 and 2012, working with hitters and infielders.
He returned to the Astros organization in 2013 as a developmental coach before taking on several minor league roles. Ensberg became a manager in 2017 with Houston’s Tri-City affiliate and led the Buies Creek Astros to a Carolina League championship in 2018.
Ensberg joined the Tampa Bay Rays organization in 2019, managing the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits to a franchise-record 88 wins and earning Southern League Manager of the Year honors.
He later managed in the Arizona Fall League and became manager of the Triple-A Durham Bulls in 2024. He also managed Caribes de Anzoátegui in Venezuela during the 2024-25 season.
Astros To Interview Former All-Star Infielder For Manager Vacancy