Bogar, Martinez Leading Candidates to Manage Astros

Martinez and Bogar are former Major Leaguers

They were in opposite dugouts for the four-game series at Tropicana Field that was completed Thursday night. Now, Rays bench coach Dave Martinez and Red Sox bench coach Tim Bogar are the leading candidates to become the next manager of the Houston Astros, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

As Baseball News Source reported earlier this week, the Astros job is appealing even if the team is a Major League-worst 48-102. New owner Jim Crane brought aboard first-year general manager Jeff Luhnow, who was a highly regarded player development guru with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Luhnow has stocked the Astros farm system with an array of promising prospects through trades of veterans who did not have a long-term future in Houston.

A few of those trade acquisitions from this year and the previous few seasons – like third baseman Matt Dominguez and first baseman Brett Wallace – are contributing at the Major League level already. The Astros are moving to the American League West in 2013, so the new manager will guide the franchise in its new chapter.

Martinez and Bogar are former Major Leaguers who have been considered managerial prospects for the last few years. Before joining the Red Sox, first as a third base coach and this year as Bobby Valentine’s bench coach, Bogar served for one year under Rays manager Joe Maddon as a quality assurance coach. Martinez was thought to be a candidate for the Chicago White Sox managerial position last off-season but never received an interview.