Joe Espada, who guided the Houston Astros to two American League West titles in his three seasons, will not be returning as manager of the team in 2027.
The Astros, who were swept in two games by the Chicago White Sox in the AL wild-card series, said Wednesday that they would not be renewing Espada's contract when it expires at the end of the month.
Espada was promoted from bench coach after the 2023 season when Dusty Baker retired. He helped the Astros recover from a 12-24 start to win their seventh AL West crown in eight seasons in 2024 but lost in the AL wild-card game. After the Astros finished second in 2025 and failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016, he guided Houston to another division title in 2026, finishing 81-81.
It was the first time in MLB history that a team reached the playoffs without a winning record.
Overall, Espada, 51, was 256-229 as manager in Houston.
The Astros on Tuesday had granted permission to the Seattle Mariners, a divisional rival, to interview Espada for their managerial vacancy.
It was a roller-coaster 2026 season for the Astros, who had the lowest winning percentage for a team reaching the postseason in a non-shortened year. Houston was 20-31 through May 20 but dropped only as much as six games out of first in a weak division. The Astros recovered to win 40 of its next 66 games through Aug. 7 -- taking sole possession of first on July 31 -- and then battled with the Texas Rangers for the top spot until the final day of the regular season.
After general manager Dana Brown was fired on Aug. 25, owner Jim Crane met with Espada, who had missed the previous game due to a family emergency, before telling reporters during a news conference that his manager would finish the season.
There were highs. Yordan Alvarez flirted with the AL Triple Crown, ultimately winning the batting title (.316) and finishing fourth in home runs (42) and fifth in RBI (106). Injuries also took a toll this season. Star infielder Carlos Correa didn't play after May 4, shortstop Jeremy Pena had multiple IL stints, ace Hunter Brown missed three-plus months and All-Star closer Josh Hader didn't make his season debut until June 3.
Espada has been with the Astros since 2018, remaining with the team after the firing of manager A.J. Hinch in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal. He served as a vital member of the staff as it transitioned to Baker, who guided the team to its second World Series title in 2022.
Espada began his coaching career in the Miami Marlins organization, working in the minors until moving to the big league club as the third-base coach in 2010. He remained there 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.
As a player, Espada was drafted by the 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 starting his coaching career.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.