Former University of Mobile standout Joe Espada will be introduced as the manager of the Houston Astros on Monday, The Associated Press reported on Sunday.

Espada will succeed Dusty Baker, who retired at the end of the 2022 season.

Espada has been Houston’s bench coach since 2018.

Espada was a three-time Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection as a middle infielder at Mobile and won the GCAC Player of the Year Award in 1995 and 1996 with the Rams. In those two seasons, he also was a second-team selection on the NAIA All-American team.

Mobile retired Espada’s No. 6 in 2019, third jersey retired by the Rams following the No. 32 of J.C. Romero and the No. 16 of Scott Vereen.

A second-round selection of the Oakland Athletics in the 1996 draft, Espada played in nine minor-league seasons before transitioning to coaching. Espada’s minor-league career included stops in the Southern League with the Huntsville Stars in 1998 and Montgomery Biscuits in 2004.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.