MLB insider gives vote of confidence to Astros' Joe Espada, but it may not matter

The collapse of the Houston Astros as the 2025 season draws to a close has led to speculation that Joe Espada could find himself on the hot seat. After being lapped by the Seattle Mariners during the final month of the season, it feels like Houston will be quick to cast the blame on a scapegoat. Oftentimes, the scapegoat is the manager at the center of the collapse.

Espada's job status was addressed in Ken Rosenthal's latest for The Athletic. Through a tiered process, Rosenthal offers a primer on the status of managerial jobs across Major League Baseball. Under the description of "Would take something calamitous", Rosenthal lists Espada. The general sense is that Rosenthal thinks the Astros will read the room and realize Espada isn't to blame for the team's collapse, but did acknowledge the elephant in the room.

"No rational person would hold Espada responsible for the Astros potentially missing the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2016. But owner Jim Crane can be unpredictable, and might not react calmly to his team blowing a postseason berth after leading the AL West by seven games on July 6."

Joe Espada may have support, but Astros wild card could change everything

If there were a team that would make a baseball decision that isn't derived from logic and goes against the grain, it would be the Astros for the very reason that Rosenthal mentioned. Jim Crane can think with his heart, sometimes to a fault, and if the sting of the Mariners overtaking the Astros is deep enough, it wouldn't be a complete shock if Crane were to act hastily and force a managerial change.

For context, however, Rosenthal lumps Espada in the same group as Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees, Rob Thomson of the Philadelphia Phillies, and Oliver Marmol of the St. Louis Cardinals. So, even with Crane being "unpredictable", Espada being fired feels like a step too far, even for the Astros' owner.

It feels like this conversation should be directed toward Dana Brown. After all, it was Brown's decisions at the deadline that may have ignited the team's collapse. Like Espada, there isn't much of a case to be made for Brown to be fired, especially with the injuries the team has dealt with this year, but the general manager is more at fault for what has plagued the Astros during the final weeks of the season.

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