Astros extend manager A.J. Hinch's contract

The rewards for the Houston Astros' first trip to the postseason in 10 years continue to roll in. Astros have extended manager A.J. Hinch's contract as first reported by the Houston Chronicle's Evan Drellich and confirmed by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

The exact details of the new contract have not been disclosed but it is safe to assume more money and years. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow declined to comment on the contract, but spoke with Drellich:

"We're committed to A.J., and he's committed to us," Luhnow said.

A.J. Hinch was brought in after Bo Porter was fired during the 2014 season. Hinch was in the running for the manager position originally before Porter was hired.  He had experience in the front office and manager during his time with the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres.

Hinch served as director of player development for the Diamondbacks in 2006. He replaced Bob Melvin in 2009 as Diamondbacks manager and was fired mid season in 2010. Hinch moved on to the Padres as the vice president of professional scouting.

Astros owner Jim Crane added his comments on Hinch:

"A.J.'s a bright guy," said Crane. "He delivers a great message in the locker room. ... He handles the players extremely well, and they respect him, and that's what you want."

Under Hinch, the Astros jumped out to the front of the American League West with a 15-7 record in April. Houston dropped out of first place in September, only to grab a Wild Card spot. The Astros defeated the New York Yankees, 3-0, in the Wild Card game.

Hinch spoke about the contract to McTaggart:

"Jim and Jeff have both been great to me, and I'm really proud to be the manager of this group, and they treated me very well," Hinch said. "To say I'm thrilled to be the manager here and have them address me with the respect they have is an understatement. I love it here and how I've been treated."