Astros appear to be moving on from Joe Espada as Mariners interview report sends clear signal

That original report from Bob Nightengale from August 24 is looking more and more like it was true after all.

While the Astros would deny the report that they had told Joe Espada he would not return as team manager (while he was dealing with a family emergency no less), it seems that the decision was made. While no announcement has been made, the pieces of the puzzle are coming into place.

Last week, former Fox 26 Houston sports director Will Kunkel reported that the Astros would not begin their search for a manager or general manager until after the World Series:

That report would indicate that the Astros had moved on from Joe Espada as manager, and that the search for his replacement would start after the World Series. It would also indicate that their preferred GM candidates were at the time with teams still in the postseason.

Today, a new report from MLB.com details that Espada will actually interview with the Seattle Mariners for their managerial opening:

Nothing says you are parting ways with your manager like giving them permission to interview with a division rival. It also signals the close of a 9 year tenure with the organization for Espada, who was the bench coach for both A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker. Espada was a key staff member on six of the Astros seven consecutive LCS teams, and three World Series teams including the World Championship team in 2022. His three years as manager have been marked by a roster depleted by injuries, lacking depth, and a severe offensive deficiency in the outfield that he has had to overcome. Espada won two division titles in his three seasons at the help, though he did not win a postseason game.

While the pieces of the puzzle would lead back to that original August 24 report by Nightengale that the Astros then denied, it has become more and more apparent that the Astros denial was more about saving face and avoiding bad PR than being accurate. Informing a manager he was being dismissed while away from the team with a family emergency is beyond cold, but sports can be a cruel business.

It does make sense that the Astros would allow their new GM to choose their own manager and build their own culture. The Astros are in need of a new direction, and "guiding the ship" is no longer an acceptable management philosophy in the front office.

Espada was forced to overcome far more than either of his two most recent predecessors in Houston, but despite not having the success of Hinch or Baker his performance with what was often a roster littered with minor league players has clearly drawn positive reviews around the league and from division rivals. His former GM Dana Brown did little to help him at the major league level, and his lack of action left Espada with his hands tied too many times.

Sometimes deserving better doesn't get you better. Maybe it will with another team. Astros fans can only hop ethe next manager will get a better hand to play than Espada did.

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