Joe Espada isn’t hiding what he wants.
After the Astros were bounced in a two-game sweep by the White Sox, the manager said Wednesday that he “absolutely” hopes to be back in 2027, even though his contract runs out after the World Series. The team has not yet told him where things stand, but Espada and owner Jim Crane were scheduled to talk within the next two days, according to Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle.
“ 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, ” Espada told reporters on Wednesday. “ As a bench coach, as a manager, I have witnessed so many great moments, so obviously I would like to continue enjoying those moments. ”
The timing is not ideal. Houston’s quick postseason exit marked the third straight year under Espada that ended badly in October: a Wild Card Series sweep in 2024, no playoff berth in 2025, and another sweep this year. Since taking over after Dusty Baker retired in November 2023, Espada has still overseen two division titles in three seasons, but the Astros are no longer operating like the machine that reached seven straight Championship Series from 2016-23.
The roster issues have been obvious. Since the start of 2024, Houston’s offense has kept producing, but the pitching and defense have been uneven.
The team’s starting staff ranked 18th in ERA at 4.17, while the bullpen came in 16th with 9.4 fWAR. Defensively, the Astros have been a split personality, posting +19 Outs Above Average but -41 Defensive Runs Saved.
This season, the lineup was strong again, with AL MVP front-runner Yordan Alvarez leading the way and the club finishing fourth in the majors with a 105 wRC+. The rotation, though, fell apart.
Astros starters posted a 4.81 ERA, fourth-worst in the majors and ahead of only the Reds, Athletics and Rockies among non-playoff clubs. They also walked 11.2% of opposing hitters, the worst mark in the league by a wide margin.
Injuries played a major role in that mess. Only two Houston starters reached 100 innings: Peter Lambert, who logged 155 2/3, and Hunter Brown, the ace at 107 1/3. Among the eight Astros starters who threw at least 40 innings, only Lambert (3.82), Brown (3.19) and Hayden Wesneski (3.25) finished with an ERA under 4.50.
That doesn’t put all the blame on Espada, but it does leave Houston in a tricky spot. The Astros finished .500 in the regular season, their lowest full-season winning percentage since 2014, when they were still rebuilding. That kind of finish, paired with another fast playoff exit, could push the organization toward a change in the dugout.
The front office has already changed. General manager Dana Brown, who also entered the year on an expiring contract, mutually parted ways with the team in late August. Crane kept Espada in place through the end of the season, but has not said whether he’ll remain the manager.
For now, the Astros are heading into the offseason with at least one major leadership vacancy and plenty of roster work ahead. Assistant GMs Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff handled Brown’s duties after his departure, though it’s not clear whether any of them are being considered for a permanent promotion. Houston also has several free agents to replace, including Bryan Abreu, Daulton Varsho, Steven Okert and Enyel De Los Santos, and it still needs help in the rotation.
In Other News...
Astros Trade Looks Different After What Pittsburgh Got Out Of It
The trade that sent Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh is starting to look a lot different now that the Pirates have had time to sort through what they got. Lowe brought the biggest name value, coming off a season with 35 home runs and better work in the field, while Montgomery quickly established himself as a late-inning weapon with 18 saves down the stretch. Mangum, meanwhile, filled in as useful center field depth when injuries piled up.
For Houston, the deal was always going to be judged in part by how the other side fit together, and Pittsburgh has clearly gotten production from all three pieces. Lowe is headed for free agency, which only adds another layer to how the move is viewed, but Montgomery is the real long-term piece here since he remains under team control through 2030. That gives the Pirates a different kind of value than a one-season rental, and it is the sort of return that can change the way a trade is remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face One Obvious Option Call And One Tougher Choice
With the Astros still operating without a general manager, one of the first offseason decisions on the table is straightforward enough: whether to pick up Isaac Paredes club option for 2027. After a strong 2026 season in which he hit 25 homers and batted .262, the third baseman looks like the kind of productive everyday piece Houston would prefer to keep in place, especially at a $13.4 million price point that sits well below what that kind of output usually costs on the market.
The tougher call comes with right-hander Ryan Weiss, whose $5 million option asks Houston to decide whether there is enough upside to justify more runway. Weiss struggled with a high ERA and WHIP at both the major league and minor league levels, which makes the choice less about certainty than about whether the Astros see a rebound worth investing in. For a club trying to sort out its next steps without a front office leader in place, the contrast between those two options says plenty about how much work still needs to be done. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Left Field Problem Looks Even Worse After One Former Move
The Astros left field search never really found an answer this season, and Dustin Harris ended up becoming another reminder of how unsettled that spot was. After brief stints with the White Sox and Houston, the outfielder resurfaced with San Diego and looked much more comfortable there, flashing better all-around play while giving the Padres another useful option in a crowded outfield mix.
What makes it sting for Houston is not just that Harris settled in elsewhere, but that his improvement came while the Astros continued to cycle through possibilities and never solidify the position. San Diego benefited from the depth, Houston did not, and the gap showed up in the standings as the Astros fell short of the playoffs with left field still lingering as one of the rosters biggest unresolved issues. [Read more 🡒]