After the Houston Astros surprisingly missed the MLB postseason for the first time since 2016, many questions emerged about the future of manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown. The Houston tradition of watching the Astros in October came to an end this season, and the fanbase is wondering whether Espada is the right choice to lead this club back to the World Series.
All the speculation was put to rest Monday as it was announced that Espada and Brown will return for the 2026 season, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Both already had their contracts in place till next season, but there was some talk regarding what the future may hold for them.
Astros Keeping Joe Espada, Dana Brown
Source: Astros GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are both under contract for next year and will return in 2026, a source tells MLB. com. Any speculation about their futures can be put to rest.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 7, 2025
The Astros made their decision early and will wait until the end of both contracts to decide what’s next. It’s possible that owner Jim Crane disregarded the 2025 season because of the sheer number of injuries the team faced.
Despite not being in the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade, the club still believes Espada is the right man for the job and Brown the right fit as general manager.
2025 Astros Season
The Astros finished 87-75 and missed October thanks to losing the tiebreaker against the Detroit Tigers, as they lost the season series 2-3. After leading the American League West by more than six games during the summer, Houston ultimately had a late-season collapse and failed to win its eighth straight full-season division title.
After the Mariners won the AL West for the first time since 2001, the expectation was that the Astros would find a way to get a Wild Card spot and squeak into the postseason. Houston had a good chance to do so, but failed to perform during the last week of the season, losing six of their last nine games.
More on Joe Espada’s Astros Run
This was Espada’s second season as manager. In his first season in 2024, the Astros won the division and made the Wild Card round. They went 88-73 in 2024 but got swept by the Tigers in their home Wild Card Series. The Astros have similar regular-season win totals in both seasons under Espada, but have yet to win a playoff game during this stretch.
However, he has dealt with a lot of injuries over the past two years, especially this season. Superstar slugger Yordan Alvarez played only 48 games as he dealt with multiple setbacks. Eight starting pitchers were on the injured list, and the best offensive player of the season in shortstop Jeremy Peña missed 37 games with multiple injuries.
Besides that, third baseman Isaac Paredes was out 60 games, and All-Star closer Josh Hader was on the injured list from Aug. 11 on. While Espada isn’t solely to blame, there are arguments to be made that the team lacked energy or passion throughout the last week when their season was on the line.
Something Was Missing
Even with all the injuries, the Astros found stretches of success in June and early July as they went nine straight series without losing one. Houston was 55-35 on July 6 after sweeping both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. After that, the Astros went 33-40.
The injury issue had always been there, but the offense just faded and did not perform as it used to. Questions are still there from the fanbase after the two worst-performing seasons over the past decade. Can Espada lead the team on a deep postseason run?
Espada, the former bench coach, took over after Dusty Baker retired in 2023 after the Astros came one win away from three straight World Series appearances. It’s been a clear shift from that championship-era management.
It hasn’t been easy managing without Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. Framber Valdez will likely walk this offseason. Even without these stars, the Astros have plenty of talent to succeed, assuming they stay healthy in 2026.
Outlook on Dana Brown
Brown was hired before the 2023 season after the Astros very surprisingly parted ways with championship-winning GM James Click over internal clashes with Crane. Brown made some big moves, but they have never fully panned out. The signings of first basemen Jose Abreu and Christian Walker have not had ideal results, while Hader delivered only five strong months before injury. The Carlos Correa move has been great so far, along with adding Ramon Urias. Jesús Sánchez, however, has struggled.
In 2024, the Astros gave up both Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner for three months of Yusei Kikuchi. In 2023, Brown brought Justin Verlander back in another trade with prospects. Two seasons in, Brown’s tenure has been a mixed bag.
Both Espada and Brown will have one more year to prove they can lead this club back to postseason success.
Main Photo Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
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