Why is he working for the Astros???
He never played for the Astros during his Hall-of-Fame career.
Did he simply need the money, or is this just a way to remain in the public eye?
From what I understand, he’s been friendly with owner Jim Crane in the past. While he worked with the Yankees as a Special Advisor (I think to GM Cashman, but maybe it was Kid Steinbrenner ), Mr October expressed that he didn’t think his advice was heeded often enough; essentially, he didn’t think he had a lot of pull when it came to baseball matters. The Astros offered the chance for Jackson to have more say in personnel matters. So, because of his friendship with Crane, he took the opportunity to jump to a franchise which has a pretty heated rivalry with the Bronx Bombers, which should make for an interesting October if both teams get there considering their recent playoff history….
Also, which happens a lot with these guys from the old guard, analytics came into play. Jackson has said he thought analytics became a prominent source of roster construction and baseball strategy in New York. All teams use analytics to a degree; but the Astros aren’t solely relying on it. Houston is at the forefront of player development, which better suits Jackson ‘s style. Mr October strikes me as a guy that prefers to preach and teach, not only rely on a spreadsheet…