Joe Espada wants to stay despite major 0-4 playoff problem
“Absolutely.” That was Joe Espada’s answer Wednesday night when asked whether he wants to keep managing the Houston Astros, the Houston Chronicle reported, hours after the Chicago White Sox finished a two-game wild-card sweep with a 7-3 win at Daikin Park.
Joe Espada is not under contract beyond this season, his third as Houston’s manager. He said he had not been told anything about his status and expected to “have a conversation” with owner Jim Crane “in the next day or two,” according to the Chronicle.
“I respect the process and how blessed I’ve been to be here for over nine years and experience so many division titles, championship series, World Series, winning one,” Espada said. “As a bench coach, as a manager, I have witnessed so many great moments. So obviously, I would like to continue enjoying those moments.”
Joe Espada’s record: 3 seasons, 2 division titles, 0 playoff wins
Houston won 88, 87 and 81 games in Espada’s three seasons, a 256-229 regular-season record, and went 0-4 in the postseason, MLB.com reported. The Astros won the AL West for the second time in three years under him, but they were swept in the wild-card round by Detroit in 2024 and by Chicago this week. They have not won a playoff game since 2023.
Joe Espada spent six seasons as Houston’s bench coach before Dana Brown promoted him to manager after the 2023 season. Crane told The Associated Press on Monday that reaching the playoffs “would be something to consider” when he decides on Espada. A two-game exit leaves that argument thin.
A front office already in flux
Crane dismissed Brown, who was also in the last year of his contract, on Aug. 24. Assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff, along with senior adviser Jeff Bagwell, took over his duties, according to the AP. That means the Astros will hire a new general manager this winter and could be looking for a new manager as well, depending on what Crane decides about Joe Espada.
Crane said in August that Espada would finish the season and that the club would decide on his future “at the end of the season,” the Chronicle reported. Espada said Wednesday that managing without that clarity was not a burden. “No, it’s part of the job,” he said.
Boos, bullpen games and a quick exit
Houston finished 81-81, which ESPN noted is the worst record ever for a division winner, and recovered from a 20-31 start to clinch the AL West on the final day of the regular season. The flaws showed up quickly against Chicago. The Astros never led in either game, falling behind 3-0 after two innings in a 6-3 loss in Game 1 and trailing 4-0 in the first inning of Game 2.
Fans at Daikin Park booed the team as early as the second inning of Game 1, before an announced crowd of 34,011, ESPN reported. Joe Espada was booed leaving the dugout, and before Game 2 he told his players to move on. “I’ve been here for almost a decade and I get it. I get booed too, right?” he said. “But that’s part of it. And I love our fans.”
Roster questions awaiting the next GM
The Astros used a franchise-record 19 starting pitchers, and their outfielders ranked 29th of 30 teams in OPS, per the Chronicle. MLB.com noted that the team’s walks allowed led the league and that Houston’s win total has dropped four straight seasons, down from 106 in 2022, when the club won its second World Series title.
The core still includes AL MVP front-runner Yordan Alvarez, third baseman Isaac Paredes and shortstop Jeremy Peña, and Joe Espada said that matters. “So I’m sure some changes will be discussed, but the heart and soul of this team is still here,” he told MLB.com. “As long as Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez are here, this is a damn good team.”
Relievers Bryan Abreu and Steven Okert headline the club’s free agents, and Peña, who is set to reach free agency in 2028, could be traded this winter, according to MLB.com. Altuve finished the series one home run shy of a postseason record, as Total Apex Sports detailed in its look at Altuve’s chase of Manny Ramirez. For the series itself, see the White Sox’s 7-3 win in Game 2 and how Chicago earned its first playoff series win since 2005.
Whatever Crane decides, Joe Espada made clear where he stands. More coverage is on the site’s MLB page.