The Astros will reportedly announce a contract extension for manager A.J. Hinch on Thursday, according to MLB.com.
The 44-year-old Hinch, who played seven years in the majors, has revitalized the Astros franchise.
Houston was coming off four straight 90-plus loss seasons when Hinch assumed the reins in 2015. In four seasons, Hinch has a 353-266 record, and guided the Astros to their first World Series title in 2017. His .570 winning percentage is the highest of any manager in club history.
Hinch is in the final year of his contract, with a club option for the 2019 season. The new deal is hardly a surprise. Although Hinch has sidestepped talk of his contract status this year, Astros president of baseball operations and GM Jeff Luhnow had made it clear the team wanted the popular manager around for the long term.
"My goal is to have him here as my manager for as long as I'm here," Luhnow said in June (via the Houston Chronicle).