After spending most of the last decade with the Astros, could Joe Espada be heading to one of Houston’s rivals in the American League West? A source told MLB.com on Tuesday that Espada will meet with the Mariners about Seattle’s managerial vacancy. A possible matchup with the Mariners gained more traction on Wednesday, when the Astros announced they had parted ways with Espada a couple of weeks before his contract expired. Neither the Astros nor the Mariners, who relieved Dan Wilson of managerial duties at the end of the season, confirmed that Houston gave Seattle permission to speak with Espada before the Astros fired him. Houston hired Espada to be the bench coach before the 2018 season, promoting him to manager after Dusty Baker retired at the end of the 2023 campaign. During Espada’s nine years with the club (six years as bench coach and the last three as manager), Houston won the 2022 World Series, captured two more American League pennants, won seven AL West titles and reached the postseason eight times. In three seasons as manager, Espada’s Astros went 256-229, winning the American League West in both 2024 and 2026. After the Astros were swept by the White Sox in the American League Wild Card Series last month, Espada said he would like to continue managing in Houston. “I respect the process and how blessed I have been to be here for nine-plus years and to have experienced so many division titles, Championship Series, World Series, and to have won one,” he said. “As a bench coach, as a coach, I’ve witnessed a lot of great moments, so obviously I’d like to continue enjoying those moments.” This year’s regular season saw the Astros reach the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years despite an 81-81 record that was good enough to win the American League West. But it also exposed the flaws of a roster that lacked pitching depth (they used a club-record 19 starting pitchers and led the American League with 650 walks), lacked athleticism and had one of the worst offensive outfields in club history (.662 OPS). In recent seasons, the Astros lost key pieces of their lineup such as Alex Bregman (free agency), Kyle Tucker (trade) and Mauricio Dubón (trade) and pitcher Framber Valdez (free agency), but have not been able to adequately replace their production. Most of the club’s offseason pitching additions did not pan out, which helped lead to the club parting ways with general manager Dana Brown on August 24. The Mariners made it clear from the beginning of the offseason that they intended to hire their new manager outside the organization after parting ways with Wilson. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has stated that prior management experience at the Major League level “is not a prerequisite,” but added that it “would be preferred.” “We need new ideas,” Dipoto said at an end-of-season news conference two weeks ago. “We need something new. It could be a change in programming. It could be a change in messaging. It could be a change in language. We’ll collaborate with whoever our future manager is and try to find the right person.” This is the third time Seattle has searched for a new coach since Dipoto took over its front office after the 2015 season. His first hire, Scott Servais, was a close friend dating back to his playing days in Colorado starting in 2000. Servais was then Dipoto’s assistant general manager in Anaheim from the 2012-15 seasons, before they reunited in Seattle. Servais was fired during his ninth season, in August 2024, and replaced by Wilson, a franchise icon who worked as a special assignment coach on the Minor League side. At that time there was no provisional label. Wilson’s tenure ended after Seattle’s 76-86 finish in 2026. Neither man had prior managerial experience at any level. “Most of what we’ve done in the last few years, especially, has been insular,” Dipoto said, “and I think this year’s failure requires us to look outward to find someone who can find holes in what we’re doing and help us see something that we may be blind to.” Despite being one of the most disappointing teams in the game in 2026, the Mariners could have one of the most coveted openings this offseason, with a homegrown rotation and two of the game’s most talented stars in Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh. They are also firmly determined to win now and in a historically weak division. That, and the potential candidate would have a say in filling out a portion of the coaching staff, as the Mariners parted ways with four key members within that group but are returning most of those who were on the pitching side.
