Joe Espada Dismissed as Astros Manager Amid Mariners Links in New MLB Rumors

The Houston Astros are parting ways with Joe Espada amid rumors of his candidacy for the Seattle Mariners' managerial opening.

The Astros announced Espada's exit Wednesday, two weeks after the club was swept from the Wild Card round by the Chicago White Sox.

Espada had served as the Astros' bench coach from 2018 to 2023 before taking over as manager ahead of the 2024 season.

His contract is set to expire at the end of October and will not be renewed, according to the Astros.

Espada will leave the Astros having compiled a 256-229 regular-season record and two AL West titles while going winless in two Wild Card appearances.

His departure will allow the Astros' next general manager to start over with a new coaching staff. The organization already parted ways with former general manager Dana Brown in August.

The Astros qualified for the postseason after winning the division, but their 81-81 record marked a fourth straight season of declining win totals following the club's run to the 2022 World Series title.

Whichever leaders are hired to replace Brown and Espada will be tasked with deciding whether the Astros need to begin a roster teardown in order to rebuild their farm system or can retool with offseason additions with hope of making a deeper postseason run next spring.

The Astros are the second club this offseason to make a managerial change. The Mariners got the carousel started by parting ways with former manager Dan Wilson after falling short of the 2026 postseason.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman and Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday Espada was "among possible candidates who'd fit preference for experience" in Seattle.

The Astros had already granted the Mariners permission to speak to Espada, who had a meeting scheduled with Seattle prior to the club announcing his exit, MLB.com's Feinsand, Daniel Kramer and Brian McTaggart reported.

Heyman also named former Minnesota Twins manager and current Los Angeles Dodgers executive Rocco Baldelli, former Baltimore Orioles manager and current Tampa Bay Rays executive Brandon Hyde, and former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross as possible candidates for the Mariners job.

Whether the Mariners ultimately consider any of these options could determine whether the Astros watch Espada head to an AL West rival this offseason.