Houston Astros do not renew Joe Espada’s contract, part ways with their manager

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros have parted ways with manager Joe Espada after deciding not to renew his expiring contract.

The team announced the decision Wednesday while also moving on from several members of his coaching staff. His contract is set to expire at the end of this month.

“We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros,” team 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 move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record. They were then swept by the Chicago White Sox in two games at home in a Wild Card Playoff series.

The Astros will now be searching for a new manager and general manager after former GM Dana Brown was fired in August.

Also on Wednesday, the Astros parted ways with catching instructor Tim Cossins, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura, third base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce and assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz.

The team said bench coach Omar Lopez has been offered an opportunity to remain in the Astros organization in a new role.

The Astros are retaining pitching coach Josh Miller, first base coach Dave Clark, major league field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and longtime bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte.

It was the first managerial job for Espada, who was in his third year after being promoted from bench coach after Dusty Baker retired following the 2023 season.

Houston won the AL West in Espada’s first season in 2024 but was swept by the Detroit Tigers in the wild card playoff round. That series loss ended a streak of seven straight appearances in the AL Championship Series, and that included four World Series trips and titles in 2017 and 2022.

The Astros went 87-75 last season to finish second in the division and miss the playoffs, snapping a streak of eight consecutive appearances.

The 51-year-old Espada went 256-229 as Houston’s manager.

He’s been with the Astros since joining them as the bench coach in 2018. Espada, who was born in Puerto Rico, was the second Latino manager in franchise history, joining Cuban-born Preston Gomez, Houston’s manager from 1974-75.

Espada began his coaching career in the Marlins organization, working in the minors until moving to the big league club as the third base coach in 2010.

He remained with the Marlins through the 2013 season before taking a job as a special assistant to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He joined the Yankees coaching staff in 2015 and worked as their infield and third base coach through the 2017 season before coming to Houston.

Espada was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft and spent nine seasons in the minors. He advanced to Triple-A as a player, but retired at age 29 after failing to reach the majors before beginning his coaching career.

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