4 Reasons why Joe Espada was the right hire for the Astros

#2 Espada SHOULD bring a blend of analytics and feel

Joe Espada has been a bench coach under A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker. As previously mentioned, he was a front office assistant to Brian Cashman when the Yankees actually implemented analytics in a wise manner. He's served under two analytical savants in Jeff Luhnow and James Click, and one old-school scouting mind in Dana Brown.

Needless to say, Espada has seen it all. His resume affords the perfect opportunity to blend both analytics and feel. Houston doesn't need to be the Tampa Bay Rays that makes all of their in-game decisions via computer, but they can't abandon analytics full tilt.

The Astros front office has been trending more towards the old school mentality than new, and Espada is equipped to push back on some of the "left on left" style schools of thought Houston so often implemented over the last few years.

Espada made it clear in his press conference that he will play "the best players" and explained that his decision to pinch hit Yainer Diaz and Jon Singleton for Jeremy Peña and Martín Maldonado in Game 5 of the ALCS after Dusty's ejection was solely his. It was a managerial master class, and a move Baker's allegiance and loyalty to a fault simply wouldn't have allowed him to do.

The Astros built their power with an incredibly analytical front office, but AJ Hinch still managed with feel rather than by the numbers. Espada will be a great combination of analytical savvy and pure baseball I.Q.