The Astros announced Tuesday that they would not renew manager Joe Espada’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of the month. Espada, who managed Houston from 2024 to 2026, will become a free agent.
There will be other changes in the staff. Bench coach Omar Lopez will not return in that role but has been offered another position within the organization. Catching coach Tim Cossins, game plan coordinator Tommy Kawamura, third base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce and assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz will also be replaced next season. Houston retains pitching coach Josh Miller, first base coach Dave Clark, infield coordinator Jason Bell and hitting coach Victor Rodriguez.
Today’s announcement formalizes what has been a widely held expectation for months. The Astros won the American League West for the second time in Espada’s three years at the helm in 2026, but did so by default in what has become MLB’s weakest division. Houston’s record of 81-81 was the worst ever for a team that qualified for the MLB playoffs, and the ‘Stros were quickly toppled by the AL Central-winning White Sox. Chicago dominated Houston 6-3 in Game 1 of the Wild Card round and 7-3 in Game 2, securing a two-game sweep in this best-of-three series.
Espada and general manager Dana Brown entered the season in the final year of their contracts, and owner Jim Crane fired Brown in August. At the time, he said Espada would stay on until the end of the season, but it seemed like a dead man’s situation, with Crane repeatedly noncommitting to Espada’s future beyond his contract expiration.
Before being named successor to outgoing manager Dusty Baker, Espada spent six years as Houston’s bench coach, holding that title under Baker and Hinch. He previously served as a third base coach, minor league hitting coach and minor league fielding coordinator in the Marlins system. Before moving to the coaching side of the game, Espada was a second-round draft pick of the Athletics in 1996 who played nine seasons in the minor leagues as an infielder.
Although his tenure at Houston’s helm is coming to an unceremonious end, Espada was long considered a manager in waiting before getting the green light to steer the ship in Houston. He has a strong reputation in the industry, as evidenced by the fact that he has already been cleared to interview for the vacant managerial position with the division rivals Mariners, who are looking for a new skipper after parting ways with Dan Wilson.
If not with the Mariners, Espada should find opportunities elsewhere. There are no other current managerial openings after the Phillies signed Don Mattingly to a two-year contract earlier this morning, but other clubs looking for experienced coaches or a new voice in player development could look to Espada. It’s also common for former managers to land special advisor positions in front offices with new teams and serve in that type of role until a new management or coaching opportunity arises elsewhere.
As for the fired coaches, Katz, Iapoce and Cossins will only stay one season in Houston. Katz, 43, previously served as a minor league pitching coach with the Angels and Giants and an assistant pitching coach with the Giants’ big league club before spending five years as the White Sox’s pitching coach from 2021-25.
Iapoce, 53, previously was the hitting coach for the Rangers and Cubs. He also held the title of senior hitting coordinator with the Red Sox and most recently served as the Tigers’ Triple-A manager (2024) and major league first base coach (2025) before joining the Astros for the 2026 season.
Cossins, 56, spent seven years with the Orioles as a major league field coordinator and catching coach before joining Houston’s staff last November. He had also managed and served as a catching instructor in the Marlins system and was also a minor league field coordinator with the Cubs.
Perezchica, 60, spent two years as the Astros’ third base coach after eight years in the same role with the Diamondbacks. He had previously been a minor league manager in the Arizona system and a minor league hitting coach with the Yankees.
Kawamura spent more than a decade in the Astros system, first joining as a minor league coach in 2016 – just two years after graduating from college (where he played four years at Willamette University). He worked as an advance scout for the Astros and joined the big league staff in 2023, Baker’s final season at the position. He had previously interned with the Mets during the year between his college career and being hired full-time by the Astros.
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