MLB insider links two Joe Espada replacement options if Astros season continues to tank

The Houston Astros made their seventh straight ALCS appearance last season, and in an effort to get back to the World Series, they made some big changes. Not only did they sign Josh Hader to a mega-deal to close games for them, but they replaced Dusty Baker with longtime bench coach Joe Espada.

While Baker is one of the most successful managers in MLB history, he made several head-scratching decisions in Houston's season in 2023 that led the team to look at Espada. The Espada hire was seen as a good one, but has been anything but so far.

The Astros are 14-25 after yet another loss on Saturday. They're in last place in the AL West and have the fourth-worst record in all of baseball. While injuries and underperforming stars have played a major role in the team's lack of success, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Espada might not be the guy everyone thought he was.

Espada is going to last at least the entirety of this season as the team just hired him last offseason, but after that? If the team struggles? It's anyone's best guess. USA Today's Bob Nightengale revealed two potential replacement options if Espada is fired.

Astros have two strong replacement options to consider if they fire Joe Espada

While Espada's reported lack of communication skills might be an issue, it's really hard to blame him for the team's struggles this season. They've been dealt with a slew of injuries, especially on the pitching side, and players who have been healthy like Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Hunter Brown, haven't been themselves.

It might be unfair for the Astros to fire Espada if they fail to make the postseason for those reasons, but sometimes managers are unfairly scapegoated. Fortunately for Houston, there are a couple of really strong hires they can make if they choose to part with Espada.

If the Astros miss the postseason and decide to make a change during the winter, the two hottest managerial free agents this winter are Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox and Skip Schumaker of the Miami Marlins.

The most successful of the two Nightengale listed is Alex Cora, a World Series-winning manager with the Boston Red Sox. Somehow, he has an undermanned Red Sox team at 20-19 this season despite playing in a really tough AL East and dealing with just as many if not more injuries than Houston. Not to mention, Cora has a link to the Astros, serving as the bench coach under manager A.J. Hinch in 2017.

Another strong option would be Miami Marlins skipper Skip Schumaker who recently had the club option in his deal voided. Schumaker's Marlins have had a brutal season in 2024, but he was the NL Manager of the Year last season after leading them to a shocking postseason berth. Both of these managers would be substantial upgrades over Espada and are both free agents after the season.

The Astros would have an attractive opening with all of the talent that they have, so it's very realistic that they'd be able to land one of the two if they decide to move on from Espada. The hope is that they rebound and find a way to squeak in or at least compete for a postseason spot, but if they don't, there are viable proven alternatives available.