Joe Espada, in limbo with the Astros, interviewed for the Mariners’ office

With his contract to manage the Houston Astros expiring at the end of this month, Joe Espada was allowed to join the Seattle Mariners for an open managerial position.

A baseball official with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Espada will meet with the Mariners. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Espada is still under contract.

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Espada recently concluded his third season managing the Astros, leading them to their second American League title in that span, also finishing with an 81-81 record, the worst in major league history for a division winner. The Astros’ streak of eight consecutive playoff berths has been broken since 2025; Espada was the club’s bench coach or manager in seven of those seasons.

MLB.com first reported that Espada would be in talks with Seattle.

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The Mariners fired their manager, Dan Wilson, after a 76-86 season that fell short of expectations after the club reached Game 7 of the AL championship series. Wilson’s case arguably began then, as the club blew a 3-2 lead to the Toronto Blue Jays, as Wilson made some controversial decisions in the game.

Espada’s contract is set to expire after this season, along with Astros general manager Dana Brown’s. But Houston owner Jim Crane didn’t hesitate to fire Brown in August as the club battled for the AL West title. Grus said at the time that Espada’s condition was set at the end of his season.

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While Espada led the club to the post, the duo and the Astros’ performance against the visiting Chicago White Sox in the wild card series certainly clouded their future.

Although cross-divisional business in a single business is rare, it is hardly without precedent. Most notably, Craig Counsell moved from the Milwaukee Brewers to the Chicago Cubs after the 2023 season.

This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Joe Espada, in limbo with the Astros, interviewed for the Mariners’ office

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