The Houston Astros have parted ways with Puerto Rican manager Josué 'Joe' Espada after deciding not to renew his contract, which was set to expire at the end of the month. The team announced the decision on Wednesday, also letting go of several assistants. Astros owner Jim Crane praised Espada’s work, saying 'We are grateful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and his commitment to the Astros.'
The decision comes after the Astros overcame numerous injuries to win the American League West division with a record of 81-81, becoming the first team in Major League history to make the postseason without a winning record. They were then swept by the Chicago White Sox in the playoff wild-card round. The Astros will now seek a new manager and general manager, as former general manager Dana Brown was fired in August.
Espada, 51, had a record of 256-229 as Astros manager and was the second Latino manager in franchise history. He began his coaching career with the Marlins organization and later worked with the Yankees before joining the Astros in 2018. With Espada’s departure, there will be no active Puerto Rican managers in the league unless he is hired by another team, such as Seattle.