It has been a really difficult season for the Houston Astros, across the board. Not a lot has gone right, so much so that the rumors of a fire sale and blowing everything up continue to get louder. While the offense has been strong, even that group has cooled down. Nothing has really come together as a team.
The injuries have ravaged the Astros in both pitching and hitting. Many of their high-impact players just haven’t played much or aren’t in form.
While trading everyone and starting over may be a bit harsh at the moment, those calls will only keep growing unless something changes quickly. The argument over firing manager Joe Espada has also gotten quite a bit of steam among Astros fans.
How Much of the Astros’ struggles is on Joe Espada?
When nothing is going right, the blame and pressure typically fall on the head coach or manager. In this case, it’s Espada. When all the players can’t get fired, a manager can. After Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thompson and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora were fired, rumors and speculation about the Astros moving on from Espada seemed possible.
However, is this really the right move to make? How much of this mess can be blamed on Espada? It’s hard to say. There’s only so much a manager can control. It’s been some really unfortunate luck for Espada during his time as Astros manager.
Joe Espada’s History as Manager
While there were injuries in 2024, the Astros were capable of making that regular-season comeback to the AL West crown, even after going 10 games back. Mostly reliable arms led the pitching staff in Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Yusei Kikuchi, and Justin Verlander. They were one of the best rotations in baseball at times during that year.
That team also had Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker. Houston got off to a horrendous 7-19 start and was also 12-24, but still won the AL West in Espada’s first season. However, the Astros did get swept in the Wild Card round at home.
The Astros looked like a true contender halfway through 2025, as they had the best record in the American League in July with a 60-42 record. They even swept the Dodgers in Los Angeles. The injuries once again became overwhelming. There have been some good times, even with obstacles, and it depends on how the front office views them, despite all the struggles.
Astros Fans’ Issues with Joe Espada
Sometimes, the reasoning is that a new leading voice is needed in the clubhouse. Once someone has run their course, it’s hard to gain new motivation or maintain a culture. There are times when the Astros don’t seem as hungry or motivated.
There is a calmness among Espada that sometimes feels too steady, if that is even possible. It does feel like the Astros don’t really demonstrate the active energy needed. How strong is Espada as a leader? Once Dusty Baker retired at the end of 2023, Espada was the obvious transition.
Something feels missing, but is that Espada’s fault? The likely answer is that he can’t be blamed for most of the struggles. He’s been given a tough hand. Any manager would have a tough time with the issues he’s been dealt with. Currently, six out of the nine players on the opening-day lineup are injured. His closer is hurt. His set-up man struggled mightily.
It’s Been a Tough Draw for Joe Espada
At the end of the day, Espada has to manage the players he’s been given. This is still arguably the worst pitching staff in baseball.
Sometimes, it has been debatable whether Espada goes to the bullpen or what arm is being used. Maybe even lineup decisions. However, there’s honestly just too much going against him.
Even when the pitching has been solid as of late, the offense isn’t coming through. Losing a leader like Carlos Correa seems to have hurt them badly. Now, add Jose Altuve. At some point, the sheer number of injuries nullifies anything a manager can do. Astros fans probably want to see more fire and energy from Espada. All he can do is give the same answers in the press conferences.
What Happens If Joe Espada Gets Fired
If you fire Espada, what exactly even changes? Omar Lopez, the current bench coach, becomes the new expected choice. He’s got to deal with the same injury problems. It’s possible that a new voice and manager could help the Astros by fostering a new culture and motivation.
When someone unfortunately becomes the face of bad times, the results can’t follow. Is there enough motivation with him? The argument against keeping Espada is that he’s already in the last year of his contract and that there’s no need to keep him. If the Astros aren’t even going to extend him for 2027, then why not make the change now to Lopez?
That certainly is a compelling point, and it will be interesting to see what the Astros do if they continue to have one of the league’s worst records.
Knowing what Espada did when the team was fully healthy could maybe keep him in his job at least till over the summer. The Astros came back from a big hole in 2024 after going 10 games behind the Mariners.
The reinforcements are on their way, and the team will likely look much different at the start of June. He’ll get a chance to lead the healthy troops then. The problem, then, might be that the Astros would be in too big a hole to get out of.
Main Photo Credits: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
