Astros manager Dusty Baker is likely to retire after Houston's ugly ALCS exit

With the Houston Astros getting bounced out of the playoffs after being crushed in Games 6 and 7 of the ALCS, attention almost immediately turned to the changes that could come this offseason for the Astros. While there will almost certainly be some new faces on the roster, much of the immediate speculation was actually on manager Dusty Baker and whether or not he would return in 2024 or choose to retire.

While Baker hasn't said for certain that he is calling it quits on the record, multiple reports immediately came out after last night's loss that Dusty has indeed told multiple people inside and outside the organization that he will not be returning as Houston's manager next season.

Dusty Baker has likely managed his final game for the Astros

While some may be shocked that Dusty would call it quits despite seemingly having a pretty sweet gig as the manager of one of the league's best teams, they probably shouldn't be all that surprised. Baker has been pretty openly been questioning his future of late. He is 74 years old after all and he has talked about wanting to spend more time with his family, in particular his grandkids, after yet another long baseball season.

Nothing is official yet and there is definitely still a chance that Dusty changes his mind, but he has made a huge mark on the Astros franchise and the game of baseball if indeed this is the end. In his 26 seasons as a manager in MLB for the Astros, Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nationals, Dusty has amassed 2,183 wins as a manager with 13 playoff appearances including finally getting that elusive World Series ring with Houston last year.

If this indeed the end of the line for Dusty, hopefully he gets to enjoy a long and relaxing retirement as it is certainly well-earned. As for the Astros, they will need to get to work quickly to find his replacement as multiple teams are already pretty far along in their search for new managers themselves and Houston will want to make sure they can have their pick of the litter this offseason.

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