Buck Showalter, John Gibbons interview with Astros

The Houston Astros are interviewing veteran major league (former) managers Buck Showalter and John Gibbons, per reports. Showalter was, reportedly, interviewed yesterday, and Gibbons is interviewing today.

The Astros are, as you all know, looking to replace their manager, A.J. Hinch, who was fired after being suspended for a season for his role in the Astros sign stealing scandal. General manager Jeff Luhnow was also fired after getting a season-long suspension, though there appears to be less movement on that front right now.

Gibbons, 57, went to high school in San Antonio, giving him some Texas ties, and has a career 793-789 record in 11 seasons over two managerial stints with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Showalter, 63, managed the Texas Rangers from 2003-06. He managed the New York Yankees from 1992-95, the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998-2000, and the Baltimore Orioles from 2010-18.

These two were among the candidates we mentioned in yesterday’s post about Jeff Banister being on the Astros’ list. It appears the Astros are casting a rather wide net, though the initial indications seem to suggest an emphasis on experience.