Chicago Cubs: Five reasons to care about this year’s World Series

Chicago Cubs: Joe Espada is a managerial candidate

In case you hadn’t heard, the Chicago Cubs are looking for a new manager. While former Cubs hero David Ross has been the favorite throughout the process, Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada has also emerged as a serious candidate for the job.

Compared to Ross, or even to fellow candidate Joe Girardi, Espada isn’t as well-known among Cubs fans. Espada never played in the major leagues and has yet to hold an MLB managerial post, though the 44-year-old has plenty of coaching experience. He has previously served as a third base coach for the Marlins and also worked in the Yankees’ front office before serving as the Astros’ bench coach since 2017.

Would Espada be a good fit for the Cubs? He comes with a strong reputation, and it seems almost certain that someone will hire him to be their manager, likely even this offseason. He is an analytically driven coach, which would seem to fit with the philosophy of the Cubs’ front office.

At the same time, he would provide some fresh perspectives to an organization that could use some. Since the Houston Astros have been considered one of the league’s best-run organizations for several years, maybe Espada could bring some of that magic to the north side of Chicago.

Espada will be getting a second interview with the Cubs, it was announced on Sunday. Should the Cubs decide to go with Espada – which would be a minor surprise, given how highly regarded that Ross is in the Cubs organization – it likely wouldn’t be announced until after the World Series. For those interested in learning more about Espada, the World Series should provide an opportunity to do that.