After spending most of the past decade with the Astros, could Joe Espada be headed to one of Houston’s American League West rivals?
According to a source, Espada will meet with the Mariners regarding Seattle’s managerial vacancy. The Mariners relieved Dan Wilson of his duties at the end of the season, and while the Astros have not made any official decisions regarding either their general manager or manager jobs, Houston granted permission to Seattle to speak with Espada, a source said. The clubs have not confirmed the news.
Espada’s contract with the Astros expires at the end of the month. Houston hired him to be the bench coach prior to the 2018 season, promoting him to manager after Dusty Baker retired at the end of the 2023 campaign.
During Espada’s nine-year tenure with the club (six years as bench coach and the past three as manager), Houston won the 2022 World Series, captured two other American League pennants, won seven AL West titles and reached the postseason eight times.
In three seasons as manager, Espada’s Astros has gone 256-229, winning the AL West in both 2024 and '26. After the Astros were swept by the White Sox in the AL Wild Card Series last month, Espada said he would like to keep managing in Houston.
“I respect the process and how blessed I've been of being here for over nine years and experienced so many division titles, Championship Series, World Series, winning one,” he 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.”
This year’s regular season saw the Astros reach the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years despite an 81-81 record that was good enough to win the AL West. But it also exposed the flaws of a roster that didn’t have enough pitching depth -- they used a club-record 19 starting pitchers and led the AL with 650 walks -- lacked athleticism and had one of the worst offensive outfields in club history (.662 OPS).
In the last few seasons, the Astros lost key lineup pieces like Alex Bregman (free agency), Kyle Tucker (trade) and Mauricio Dubón (trade) and pitcher Framber Valdez (free agency) but haven't been able to adequately replace their production. Most of the club's offseason pitching additions didn't work out, which helped lead to the club parting ways with general manager Dana Brown on Aug. 24.
The Mariners made it clear from the offseason’s outset that they intended to hire their new manager from outside the organization after parting ways with Wilson.
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has stated that prior managing experience at the Major League level is “not a prerequisite" but added that “it would be preferred.”
“We need fresh thought," Dipoto said in an end-of-season news conference two weeks ago. “We need something new. It could be a shift in programming. It could be a shift in messaging. It could be a shift in language. We'll collaborate with whoever our future manager is, and try to find the right person.”
This is the third time that Seattle has sought a new manager since Dipoto took the helm of its front office after the 2015 season.
His first hire, Scott Servais, was a close friend dating back to their playing days in Colorado beginning in 2000. Servais was then Dipoto’s assistant general manager in Anaheim from the 2012-15 seasons, before they reunited in Seattle.
Servais was fired during his ninth season, in August 2024, and replaced by Wilson, a franchise icon who was working as a special assignment coach on the Minors side. There was no interim tag at the time. Wilson’s tenure was “concluded” after Seattle’s 76-86 finish in 2026.
Neither had previous managing experience at any level.
“Most of what we've done in recent years, especially, has been insular,” Dipoto said, “and I think this year's failure requires that we look outside to find someone who might be able to poke holes in what we're doing and help us see something that perhaps we're blind to.”
Despite being one of the sport’s most disappointing teams in 2026, the Mariners could have one of the most coveted openings this offseason -- featuring a homegrown rotation and two of the sport’s more talented stars in Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh. They are also firmly in a win-now mode, and in a division that was historically weak.
That, and the prospective candidate would have a say in rounding out a chunk of the coaching staff, as the Mariners parted ways with four key members among that group but are returning most of those on the pitching side.
Seattle and Philadelphia are the only two clubs currently with a managerial vacancy.