Astros Fire Manager Joe Espada After Three Seasons and Two Playoff Sweeps

Houston is cleaning house. The Astros announced Wednesday that they will not renew manager Joe Espada's contract, ending his three-season tenure just two weeks after a wild-card sweep by the Chicago White Sox. His contract expires at the end of the month.

Espada compiled a 256-229 regular-season record but went 0-4 in the postseason, swept in the wild-card round by the Detroit Tigers in 2024 and by the White Sox this year. He took over from Dusty Baker after the 2023 season, won the AL West with an 88-73 mark in his first year, then watched the club miss the playoffs entirely in 2025. This season's 81-81 finish was good enough to win the AL West — the first team in baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record — but not enough to save his job.

The move follows owner Jim Crane's firing of general manager Dana Brown in August, and comes one day after the club granted the Seattle Mariners permission to interview Espada for their own managerial vacancy. "We are thankful for Joe's hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros," Crane said in a statement. "He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way."

The Astros also moved on from catching instructor Tim Cossins, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura, third base coach Tony Perezchica and two assistants, while retaining pitching coach Josh Miller, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and first base coach Dave Clark. Bench coach Omar Lopez, who guided Venezuela to the 2026 World Baseball Classic title, has been offered a new role in the organization.