5 Cardinals connections who have strong cases to be the Astros' next manager under Randy Flores

One of Randy Flores' first tasks as the new general manager of the Houston Astros is hiring a manager, and the former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and assistant general manager could look to bring a current or former Cardinal with him to fill that role.

As reporters begin to connect the dots on who the next Astros manager will be, a bunch of Cardinals connections have been rising to the surface, and it's very possible that Flores will lean on one of those connections to be his manager in Houston.

Here are five current and former Cardinals that could become the Astros manager

Daniel Descalso

I would argue that Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso is probably the strongest candidate to take on the managerial role in Houston under Flores' leadership.

Descalso has been a managerial candidate for a few years now, praised for the work he has done helping Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol lead the club during some rocky seasons in the franchise's history. He is a strong communicator, detail-oriented, and someone who can lead his own clubhouse when the time comes.

Flores' experience working with Descalso, seeing firsthand how he handles a clubhouse and works with a front office, likely goes a long way in building the trust necessary to tap him as his first manager. I would not be surprised at all to see Descalso end up in Houston.

Jon Jay

Another member of the Cardinals coaching staff, Jay, who was an outfielder with the Cardinals during their run of success in the early 2010s, is well-liked in the industry and has been an asset to the Cardinals coaching staff since coming on board.

I would consider Jay a stronger candidate for the bench coach role in Houston if Descalso got the job, but I wouldn't be shocked to see him end up as their manager as well. Jay drew great reviews during his time with the Miami Marlins on Skip Schumaker's staff, and has been a potential manager candidate ever since.

Albert Pujols

A teammate of Flores' during the 2000s, Albert Pujols has been very open about his desire to manage at the big league level, and with the Los Angeles Angels situation being as odd as it is right now with the ownership turnover, Pujols may end up making more sense to manage in Houston as his first job.

Pujols has experience managing in the Dominican Winter League and the World Baseball Classic, and has been up for multiple managerial roles in past offseasons, like the Angels, San Diego Padres, and Baltimore Orioles.

Pujols would instantly garner respect from Astros players and brass the moment he steps into that clubhouse. He honestly may be the exact kind of manager needed to keep the Astros' veterans invested as Flores replenishes the core in a soft-retool situation, and he could still be the right guy if they went into a rebuild.

If Flores wants to make big swing for his manager gig, Pujols is the guy.

Yadier Molina

Another former teammate of Flores, but this time the all-important battery mate, Yadier Molina, would also love to manage at the big league level, and perhaps Houston is the job that will draw Molina away from St. Louis.

Molina, who has served as a special advisor with the Cardinals over the last few years, spent time around both the big league club and the Cardinals' minor league affiliates during the 2026 season. While he could end up being a strong candidate for the Cardinals job if Marmol were ever let go, Molina has already been scratching his itch to manage by leading clubs in the Winter League and World Baseball Classic.

His fiery energy is what makes him a potentially great manager, but it could also give teams some pause. But at the same time, no one can question Molina's baseball brain, and it's hard to imagine him not being a fantastic in-game manager once he gets that role somewhere.

Ben Johnson

The Cardinals Triple-A manager has been named as a potential MLB manager before, and given his work with Cardinals prospects over the years, maybe he's the guy that Flores would trust the most to lead his Major League team.

Johnson has done a terrific job at the helm of the Memphis Redbirds, becoming their winningest manager and drawing rave reviews for the job he has done. While he may not be talked about as a top candidate right now, don't be surprised if he interviews or even lands the job.

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