The Houston Astros are a team now that need help. They are on the other side of a once dominant core that won two championships and appeared in the American League Championship Series every season from 2017-2023.

Now, the window is closing with Jose Altuve getting older, Jeremy Pena moving another year closer to free agency and the farm system in dire straits. Every game matters, and the Astros frankly were lucky to make the postseason in 2026. After moving on from general manager Dana Brown, it's time to move on from manager Joe Espada.

Why Moving on is the right choice

The Astros were in game seven of the 2023 ALCS in an absolute dogfight of a series against their rival Texas Rangers. Dusty Baker retired following the series loss, and Espada was appointed the manager and the team has regressed.

Under Espada, Houston owns a Espada 256-229 record, which equates to a .521 winning percentage. Sure, they won the division and made the postseason twice in three seasons under his management, but overall, they have not been bear as good as they were under Baker or AJ Hinch. It reflects in their on-field performance at times.

In Espada's defense, the roster has not been strong. The pitching staff Brown and company handed him coming into 2026 was not a staff that was set up for success. He pretty much needed to make something out of nothing this season, but he simply could not.

Where Espada does come in is the performance on-field. They are 0-4 in postseason games, all at home, under Espada. In the most recent series against the White Sox, they team booted the ball around all series and completely embarrassed themselves. Espada might not be the one on the diamond making plays, but when teams are not fundamentally sound, that does fall on the skipper, fair or unfair.

Is the Writing on the Wall?

There were reports following the departure of Brown from the organization in August that Espada was next. While nothing has been made official yet, the way the season ended and the way the Astros performed in the month of September might have been enough to validate the report and the feeling that Espada was on the way out.

The Astros need change. A ton of change. With the front office undergoing changes, it would make sense for the Astros to also change their manager so the two are philosophically aligned.