Astros have done themselves no favors with Jim Crane's Joe Espada meddling

The dust has settled on the Houston Astros' decision to part ways with Dana Brown and the case can be made that they aren't better off. Sure, Brown was going to be out of a job this offseason, but the act itself was a charade. Brown's presence wasn't going to change the Astros' playoff outlook at this point in the season, and worse than that, Jim Crane may have really stepped in it this time around.

Crane has always been an unpredictable wild card in the Astros' operation, and as the team's owner, he certainly has that right. But, previously, Crane was able to hide behind the fact that the Astros were the definition of success in the American League for much of the past decade. For that reason alone, working with the Astros was certainly going to outweigh the reality that one would be working for Crane.

Now, working with Crane could quietly be why the Astros general manager vacancy and looming managerial vacancy aren't that appealing. Look no further than how Crane has been handling questions about Joe Espada's status in recent days.

Jim Crane can't get out of his own way, and that's finally a problem for the Astros

It was USA Today's Bob Nightengale who first reported that Brown's fate with the Astros had already been decided weeks before the move actually made, and Nightengale has followed suit this week. The MLB insider reports that Espada has already been told that his contract will not be renewed for the 2027 season, and Crane has allowed him to remain in place as the team's manager for the rest of the season.

A team owner can't really ignore reporting that their manager is scheduled to lose his job, so when Crane has been asked about Espada, be's been short with his responses. The two have met, and Espada will finish the season as the Astros manager. End of discussion.

Strip everything else from this conversation. The Astros have largely been bad for most of the season, but somehow found their way in playoff contention. Despite that reality, the antsy Crane couldn't put office the front office changes any longer, esentially firing Brown and making it crystal clear that Espada will follow once the season is over.

Those aren't actions that appeal to prospective candidates. Add in the reality of the Astros' roster outlook next season, and the looming vacancies won't nearly be as attractive as others potentially available this offseason.

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