San Francisco Giants: Analyzing the final three managerial candidates

1. Joe Espada

The final name on this shortlist is Astros’ bench coach Joe Espada who has been a hot name on the managerial market this season. Fresh off a World Series loss, Espada could be looking to depart Houston for a manager job if the Giants seem appealing enough.

Espada might just be the fanbase’s personal pick and the most qualified for the position despite not possessing any prior managerial experience in the MLB.

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That said, he’s done pretty much everything else there is to do.

Espada began his coaching career in the Miami Marlines organization back in 2010 serving as a Class-A hitting coach before being promoted to the organization’s minor league infield coordinator and later the Marlins third-base coach.

The 44-year-old left in 2014 to become a special assistant under New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman earning invaluable experience in a front-office role. He later served as the team’s infield coach and third-base coach before leaving to become the Astros’ bench coach in 2017.

On top of everything, Espada has also managed the Puerto Rican national team in each of the last two World Baseball Classic’s giving him experience in seemingly every possible role.

All that’s left is a manager job at the highest level of professional baseball.

Espada’s impressive acumen combined with his praised communication skills makes him a very intriguing option for the open position.

And with the World Series now over, there’s nothing stopping Zaidi from naming him the newest manager of the San Francisco Giants.