The Houston Astros reached an agreement Wednesday to hire Dusty Baker as the club’s new manager, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the Astros had not yet announced the hire.
Houston is signing Baker to a one-year deal with a club option for a second year, hoping he will help lead them through their most tumultuous time in the wake of their cheating scandal.
The Astros, who fired manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow for their roles in the scandal, also are expected to have a shake-up of their coaching staff.
The Astros will turn next to their GM search, with Peter Woodfork, MLB’s vice president of baseball operations, emerging as the leading contender. The Astros also have interviewed former San Francisco Giants GM Bobby Evans.
Baker, 70, was chosen among a field of nine managerial candidates, including veterans Buck Showalter, John Gibbons, Jeff Banister and Brad Ausmus.
Certainly, he was the most accomplished, winning 1,863 games in his 22-year career with seven first-place finishes and a National League pennant. He could become the first manager to lead five teams to postseason berths.
Baker is one of only seven managers, joining Hall of Famers John McGraw, Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, Sparky Anderson, Joe McCarthy, Walter Alston and Leo Durocher with that many victories and a .532 winning percentage.
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