Astros say Joe Espada will not return as manager in 2027 amid coaching changes
Houston confirmed Espada’s departure after an 81-81 season and named the coaches who will stay or leave as the club prepares for 2027.
The Houston Astros announced on Wednesday, October 14, that Joe Espada will not return as manager in 2027 when his contract expires at the end of October. The decision comes after Houston finished the 2026 regular season 81-81 and was swept by the Chicago White Sox in the American League Wild Card Series. The club also identified coaches who will stay and leave ahead of next season.
Owner Jim Crane thanked Espada for his work and commitment to the Astros and the Houston community, and wished him and his family well in a statement quoted by CBS Sports and United Press International. The statement accompanies a wider set of staff decisions following a season in which Houston returned to the playoffs after missing them in 2025, then exited in the opening round.
Joe Espada’s record over three seasons in Houston
Espada was hired in 2024 and compiled a 256-229 regular-season record across three seasons, according to UPI. Houston went 0-4 in postseason games during his tenure. Its 81 wins and 81 losses in 2026 put the club at .500 before the Wild Card Series sweep by the White Sox. Those figures capture the gap between Houston’s continued ability to reach October in some seasons and its lack of a postseason win under Espada.
The results followed an unusually long run of deep postseason appearances. UPI reported that the Astros reached the American League Championship Series in seven consecutive seasons from 2017 through 2023, making four World Series appearances in that period. They then lost in the Wild Card Series in two of their three most recent postseason appearances. In 2025, Houston missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The 2026 berth restored a place in the postseason but ended with another Wild Card Series defeat.
Which Astros coaches will return in 2027
Houston identified five staff members who will return in 2027, UPI reported: pitching coach Josh Miller, first-base coach Dave Clark, major-league field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte. Their scheduled return gives the next manager a staff that retains people in pitching, hitting and field coordination, even as other roles change. The personnel announcement covers more than the managerial position, with five additional staff members set to depart.
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 will not return next season, according to UPI’s account of the team’s announcement. Bench coach Omar Lopez was offered an opportunity to remain with the franchise in a new role; the report describes an offer, rather than an accepted appointment. Together, the decisions leave some established staff in place while opening several positions for the 2027 setup.
Houston’s baseball leadership after Dana Brown
The change in manager follows an earlier move in the club’s baseball leadership. CBS Sports reported that general manager Dana Brown was let go in August and that Crane named himself temporary head of baseball operations. That places the search for Espada’s successor alongside a change in who is overseeing baseball decisions. CBS Sports raised a rebuild as a possible direction for Houston; the club has not announced one. Its confirmed decisions so far concern Espada and the named coaching staff.
Sources and context
- Astros move on from Joe Espada: Is a rebuild next in Houston? Plus more pressing questionsCBS Sports
- Houston Astros split with manager Joe EspadaUnited Press International (republished by Yahoo Sports)
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