Joe Espada entered 2026 managing one of baseball’s highest-payroll contenders. Less than two months later, the Houston Astros skipper is suddenly emerging as a legitimate candidate to become MLB’s next manager fired.
That possibility gained traction this week after USA Today insider Bob Nightengale reported Espada’s job security is deteriorating as Houston’s disastrous start continues, putting mounting pressure on one of baseball’s most disappointing teams.
Espada’s situation suddenly looks more precarious after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and the Phillies dismissed Rob Thomson during similarly disappointing starts earlier this season.
“Houston Astros manager Joe Espadaâs job may be in increasing danger with each passing day,” Nightengale wrote in his Sunday column.
The numbers are pretty clear. Houston entered 2026 carrying a $240.93 million payroll, seventh-highest in baseball, and little margin for a slow start. Then the Astros started slow. After opening the year at 5-2, the club slumped to 9-19 over its next 28 games, sinking into last place in the American League West with no obvious path back to contention.
A bruised and battered pitching staff has been the primary culprit. Houston’s starters and relievers carry the worst ERA in baseball at 5.75 and a league-worst WHIP of 1.62, according to Yahoo Sports. Four rotation pitchers are currently on the injured list or just back from it. Hunter Brown is down with a shoulder ailment, Ronel Blanco with an elbow problem, Cristian Javier has a shoulder injury, and Tatsuya Imai just came off the IL on May 12 with arm fatigue.
The offense has been a genuine bright spot. Houston ranks third in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. But no lineup fully compensates for a pitching staff as severely compromised as Houston’s.
Espada’s Path to Astros Hot Seat
It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Joe Espada. The Puerto Rico native spent six seasons as bench coach under Dusty Baker, watching Houston win a World Series title in 2022 and reach the postseason eight straight years from 2017 through 2024 under Baker and predecessor A.J. Hinch. When Baker retired following the 2023 season, Espada was the obvious successor, taking over as the franchise’s 25th manager in November of that year and inheriting a dynasty. But as it turned out, the dynasty was entering its twilight.
Espada’s first season was bumpy but survivable. The Astros went 88-73 in 2024 and reached the postseason, though Detroit swept them in the Wild Card Series. In 2025, a cascade of injuries overwhelmed the roster and Houston missed the playoffs entirely on a tiebreaker, finishing 87-75 and ending a franchise-record eight-year postseason streak. Now in 2026, a second consecutive injury wave has buried the rotation and the organization’s patience may be thinning fast.
Putting Espada’s Job Security in Focus
The broader context makes his situation more precarious. Boston fired Cora on April 25, when the Red Sox stumbled to a 10-17 start. Three days later, Philadelphia fired Thomson after the Phillies fell to 9-19, as CBS Sports reported. In both cases, clubs with massive payrolls and championship expectations decided an early managerial change was preferable to watching a season crumble.
Houston is in the same boat. General manager Dana Brown reportedly holds owner Jim Crane’s confidence for now, according to the Yahoo Sports report. That dynamic places Espada in a difficult spot. Brown may ultimately move to fire his manager as a way of buying himself more runway with ownership. If the Astros do not reverse course quickly, Espada could become the third manager fired in 2026.
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