Astros Stick With Espada, Brown in 2026 Despite Missing Playoffs

The Houston Astros missed the postseason for the first time since 2016 this year, but regardless, will choose to run it back with their current manager and GM.

Sep 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) walks in the dugout before the game against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 2025 season was difficult for the Houston Astros, missing out on the MLB postseason for the first time in nearly a decade, and dealing with a wide variety of injuries that held them back from their true potential.

Following an offseason where they let Alex Bregman walk and traded Kyle Tucker, it was unclear what direction the Astros were taking, whether that be a full rebuild or more of a retooling phase.

In the first half of the season, that became clearer, as the team succeeded beyond all expectations and was showing just how much talent they had. Unfortunately, the second half was much less impressive, as Houston missed out on the postseason by a few games following a relatively monumental collapse.

Injuries were certainly at the forefront of this collapse, but the team also struggled to gain any traction with their core late in the year, and even some of their best players started to show wear and tear down the stretch.

Heading into 2026, it was unclear where the team stood regarding their manager and general manager, and whether they would remain with the franchise. Some clarity has been provided in both scenarios recently, however.

What is the Latest Information on the Astros' Manager and General Manager?

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

According to a new report from Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, both manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown are set to remain with the Astros in 2026, as both are under contract for the year and will return.

Source: Astros GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are both under contract for next year and will return in 2026, a source tells MLB. com. Any speculation about their futures can be put to rest.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 7, 2025

Espada has taken over for two seasons as manager now, and in that span has a 175-148 record, including a postseason appearance in 2024, where they would lose in the Wild Card round to the Detroit Tigers. As for Brown, he was also a somewhat recent hire, taking over as general manager in January of 2023.

Neither has particularly shown enough to be completely at fault for the shortcomings of Houston yet, but neither has really shown to be an elite option at their respective position in the front office either.

For what it is worth, Espada did a good job managing a roster that had no business retaining any momentum into the second half, but he and Brown need to show more improvement in 2026 to avoid any discussions of being on the hot seat.

The Astros franchise is synonymous with postseason contention over the last decade and a half, and getting back there will resolve most concerns. But first, the team needs to be improved for 2026, especially the depth, as injuries are most certainly something that pop up more than once.

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