HOUSTON -- Less than two months after they parted ways with general manager Dana Brown, the Astros announced Wednesday they would not renew the contract of manager Joe Espada, who won two American League West titles in three seasons on the job.
“We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game and for his commitment to the Houston Astros,” Astros owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way. We wish he and his family the best moving forward.”
The club also announced several changes to its coaching staff. Catching instructor Tim Cossins, game-planning coach Tommy Kawamura, third-base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce and assistant hitting coach Ethan Katz will also not return next season.
Several coaches will be retained for the 2027 season: pitching coach Josh Miller, first-base coach Dave Clark, field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte.
Meanwhile, bench coach Omar López has been offered an opportunity to remain in the Astros' organization in a new role. López, who led Venezuela to the World Baseball Classic championship in March, completed his 28th season with Houston and has been on the Major League staff since 2020.
Last week, Espada was granted permission by the Astros to interview for the vacant managerial position with the Mariners, sources told MLB.com.
Espada was hired by the Astros as bench coach days after the club won the 2017 World Series, replacing Alex Cora. When Dusty Baker retired after the '23 season, Espada was promoted to manager, with big shoes to fill considering Houston's previous two managers won a World Series title and multiple AL pennants.
In three seasons, Espada posted a 256-229 record but was 0-4 in the postseason.
This year, the Astros reached the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years despite an 81-81 record that was good enough to win the American League West. But it also exposed the flaws of a roster that lacked pitching depth: Houston used a club-record 19 starting pitchers and led the AL with 650 walks. The Astros lacked athleticism and had one of the worst offensive outfields in club history (.662 OPS).
In the last few seasons, Houston lost key lineup pieces like Alex Bregman (free agency), Kyle Tucker (traded to the Cubs) and Mauricio Dubón (traded to the Braves) and pitcher Framber Valdez (free agency), but haven't adequately replaced their production. Most of the club's offseason pitching additions were flops, which helped lead to Brown and the Astros parting ways Aug. 24.
“We always find ways to acquire talent and stay competitive and stay in the mix and stay in a really good position to compete and win the division,” Espada said Sept. 30. “So, I'm sure some changes will be discussed, but the heart and soul of this team is still here. As long as Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez are here, this is a damn good team.”