When we discuss the future of the Astros leadership including the GM Dana Brown, Manager Joe Espada and various assistant coaches, there is a question to be discussed.
If “IT” didn’t happen, would Jeff Luhnow and A.J. Hinch still be with the organization? “IT” being the cheating scandal that just keeps giving.
Warning – if bad language and/or incoherent hate-based arguments bother you – do not click on this link
The question posed about whether Luhnow and Hinch would have survived this long without “IT” is important, because any changes to the GM and manager spots would seem to be from owner Jim Crane’s desk.
This is the same Jim Crane who indirectly fired GM James Click a few days after winning the 2022 championship by making him an offer he had to refuse.
This is the same Jim Crane who indirectly fired manager Dusty Baker a season after winning that same championship by working him season to season and perhaps letting him feel unloved among a “sea” of bloggers, social media types and other second guessers.
Since the season ended, Astro fans have seen a joint press conference featuring Dana Brown and Joe Espada assessing the 2025 season and the Astros’ future.
Dana Brown, Joe Espada talk Astros’ 2025 season, future
The press conference highlighted that Dana Brown is still the GM of the Astros and that Joe Espada is still the manager.
What it did not include was any type of statement from Jim Crane on either gentleman or their jobs. In fact, unless AI is lying to me, there are no post-2025 comments from the Astros owner to this point.
It is unclear whether that is good or bad news for Dana and/or Joe.
A quick Plus/Minus look at each of them….
Dana Brown
- Minus – That Jesus Sanchez trade looks like a real bust to date. A power outfielder, who can’t hit with power or field in exchange for a number of prospects. Yuck.
- Positive – Even with the injuries, the Kyle Tucker trade for Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith, and Hayden Wesneski looks like a positive in the long run.
- Minus – Brown not able to bring in adequate pitching help before the 2025 season or at the trade deadline.
- Positive – Brown did not trade off the Astros’ future in either trade period.
- Minus – Brown did not anticipate the Astros’ unprecedented injury run, especially with the pitching.
- Positive – It was unprecedented – why should anyone anticipate it.
- Minus – The competence of the medical staff and communication relative to injuries hit the nadir during Brown’s reign.
- Positive – I got nothing.
- Minus – The Astros did not make the playoffs for the first time under Dana Brown after 8 seasons.
- Positive – The Astros rode a veritable slew of Brown replacements out of thin air to just miss the last playoff spot in the AL. When you look at who had to perform in critical times, it is amazing the Astros were not below .500.
Joe Espada
- Minus – Like Brown, he was the manager who did not make the playoffs after the Astros 8-season run in the post-season.
- Positive – The Astros ability to somehow be 20 games over .500 in July amidst the total decimation of the pitching staff was one of the most heroic runs I’ve seen in 60 years of watching this team.
- Minus – While he didn’t lose the clubhouse, Joe certainly lost his one-time co-ace Framber Valdez down the stretch.
- Positive – C’mon man, this is like blaming Hannibal Lecter’s parole officer when he ends up reeking revenge on his prison psychiatrist instead of reporting in like he is supposed to do. What did you think was going to happen?
- Minus – At times the Astros hitting strategy looked non-existent, their fielding struggled, and their baseball sense on the bases, infantile.
- Positive – Their coaching for the pitchers certainly was above expectations. As for the others, are these volunteers or are these professionals?
- Minus – Joe seemed to be overtly positive, no matter what was going on as though the underperformance had not occurred.
- Positive – Joe was overtly positive and never dragged his team down with his attitude. The corrections were occurring behind closed doors not in the press.
- Minus – That whole, Framber crossing up Cesar Salazar, grooving a grand salami pitch and plunking his own catcher with another pitch begged for some kind of public reckoning by the manager.
- Positive – I am again empty here.
The part of this equation that is impossible for us to see and comprehend is the following. This is not just whether Dana Brown and Joe Espada’s performance in 2025 was good or bad.
The real question is whether in Jim Crane’s judgment these two gentlemen can lead the team to the promised land in the near future.
Jim Crane may be fine with their performance to date, and he may see them able to lead the team to a championship given a regular set of injuries.
Or Jim Crane may be waiting to see if there will be anyone let go after the playoffs (A.J. Hinch?) who he thinks can do a better job. This will continue to be a fascinating off-season.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
16 responses to “Dana and Joe”
I’ve watched a lot of baseball over the past week. I’m glad we did not back our way into the post season. We just did not have the horses even before Yordan-Pena-Meyers went down. Yeah, technically anything could have happened once in, but magic was simply was not going to happen in October this year. There are a bunch of talented teams playing, and a few pretty good ones have already gone home. In a way, it’s easier to watch the post season without our guys playing. My stomach enjoys it more.
Thinking back, my recollection is that Jim Crane was pretty much a hands off owner before the cheating scandal that still clearly haunts the organization was allowed to thrive. Seems that he had full faith in Jeff Luhnow and his plan. Of course that all changed.
Jim Crane has always said that as long as he’s around, the goal will be to play post season baseball. He could not have been pleased with the way the season ended in 2024. In response, it seems he gave Dana Brown the reins to pretty much run the club without interference again in 2025. To me, it was the screwiest season I’ve ever seen the Astros play. I can’t condemn Dana or Joe or any of the coaches.
But my guess is that 2025 was enough for Jim Crane. I think he’s been quietly seething, embarrassed. And any day now we’ll see a pretty big shake up. I’m okay with that.
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I think I have to agree with you daveb. The deafening silence from Jim Crane after the season feels ominous.
I’m not sure how I feel about shaking everything up again. Let’s face it, if you brought in a legendary GM and manager, but half the roster is injured or underperforming, they would be in trouble. Yes, we can say the right GM has the type of players that stay healthy or the right kind of manager has no underperforming players, but c’mon.
I think they need to get younger and at least have some kind of re-set even if it isn’t a 52 pickup start over. Dana Brown is not Jeff Luhnow and daveb even though you hate the Tiger’s manager for letting “IT” happen here, Joe Espada is no A.J. Hinch.
Whether the Astros do or don’t replace the GM and/or manager, I hope they take a deep dive on the following:
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I just looked at the comments and unfortunately this is what a lot of our society has evolved into. What a disgusting example of human kind. Of course it’s yankee fans and most of them must have been present at the Ryder Cup. My Dad always said that cussing was the sign of an ignorant man as that person didn’t possess the wherewithal to convey his feelings in any other way. Yes, I’ve been guilty many times over but if you ever see these episodes in person you really see how foolish and childish they are. Maybe if they saw what they looked like they might act differently or then again, maybe not.
As for the Astros I’m hoping they can reload, fix their issues and get back to being the great team that they are capable of being.
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Dan, I think you and I could have had pretty good success with that 2017 roster and without all the banging. And in 2018 and certainly in 2019. That’s the one that haunts me to this day. Why are we always so intent on recycling managers?
But without a doubt, all this medical business needs a deep dive and new methods ultimately, certainly the biggest focus being on keeping pitchers healthy in the first place. And misdiagnosing? In the real world, we sue doctors for that. I guess baseball players sign away that right when a club gives them healthcare.
I don’t know how much hitting coaches actually impact their hitters in a positive way. But with very few exceptions, this has been an undisciplined baseball team. That part can change to a degree. I’d like to think that a guy like Michael Brantley could help a young guy like Yainer, even if it’s at Spring Training, followed up by Zoom calls throughout the season. Speaking of Brantley, if his kids were away at college, I’d love to have him back.
But I think if the owner is going to hire a new GM, then the GM should have a say in who the manager will be and the manager should have a say in who his coaches will be. So if our owner is going to make a move, there will and should be, a domino effect.
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Some segment of loudmouthed Yankees fans are convinced the Blue Jays are cheating by stealing signs right now. Who needs proof when you can hurl accusations on the internet? In other news, the Phillies did their best not to win the game choosing to bunt themselves out of it in the ninth last night. Ugh.
Seeing some of these arms on playoff teams just confirms my disappointment in our scouting. There’s a difference between not being in position to draft a guy like Paul Skenes and not picking a Jacob Misiorowski (2022 2nd), Cam Schlittler(2022 7th), Mason Miller (2021 3rd), Connelly Early (2022 5th), etc.
The injuries makes it tough to really evaluate Espada. The lack of anything exciting in our milb system is as much an indictment on Click as it is on Brown at this point, but we’re getting to the point where some returns need to be visible. Most of our 2025 class hasn’t even suited up yet. Thanks for depressing me, Dan!
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I thought I posted this, but it did not happen.
MLBtraderumors.com just posted their predictions for arbitration numbers for 2026.
Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026 – MLB Trade Rumors
The Astros have 16 players eligible for arb (that is a very large number for them and just behind the Rays (17) for most in the majors.
I would think Dubon, Garcia, McCormick, De Los Santos and Trammell would be in danger of being non-tendered. Part of me would let Urias go and hold on to Dubon due to his positional flexibility.
Sanchez should be in danger, but they may want to avoid the embarrassment of doing that with someone they just traded for.
Sousa could be a casualty if he is going to miss significant time in 2026 – I have not heard any updates on his status.
I’ve heard suggestions of letting Meyers walk – I don’t see it – but what do I know.
Astros (16)
• Mauricio Dubon (5.162): $5.8MM
• Stephen Okert (5.089): $2MM
• Luis Garcia (5.083): $2.2MM
• Ramon Urias (5.025): $4.4MM
• Bryan Abreu (5.022): $5.9MM
• Enyel De Los Santos (5.015): $2.1MM
• Chas McCormick (4.161): $3.4MM
• Isaac Paredes (4.160): $9.3MM
• Jesus Sanchez (4.118): $6.5MM
• Jake Meyers (4.044): $3.5MM
• Jeremy Pen (4.000): $7.9MM
• Hunter Brown (3.035): $5.7MM
• Yainer Diaz (3.035): $4.5MM
• Hayden Wesneski (2.170): $1.5MM
• Bennett Sousa (2.156): $1.1MM
• Taylor Trammell (2.144): $900K
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Quite frankly, $3.5M for Meyers isn’t a bad situation. It’s only a problem if you have lots of stupid contracts on your books already. If the Astros don’t want him they shouldn’t have trouble finding another team willing to acquire him. I don’t see any way you can tender World Series hero Chas or Taylor Trammel contracts.
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Chas leaving was one of my locks on my list, the WS is way back in the rearview mirror. Unless he was a nursing an injury, not sure you can put aside $3.4 MM for a guy with a -1.0 WAR especially if it comes down to him or Zach Cole.
I struggled on the Trammell non-tender since he might not even get $1 Million. But do you want somebody hitting below the Mendoza taking up space?
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Non tender Dubon, Garcia, Urias, De Los Santos, McCormick, Sanchez, Meyers, and Trammell.
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In the three o’clock hour, of the Adam and Adam show, on 790 am, they stated that an Astro’s insider had confirmed that……
Dana Brown and Joe Espada WILL be back for next season!!!
More of the same friends.
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It’s on the MLB page.
https://www.mlb.com/news/dana-brown-joe-espada-astros-2025-season-future
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I don’t mind being wrong again. It feels natural! I just hope some things get done. It will be interesting. And we’ll have plenty to talk about. I don’t want coach P back at third. I’d like to see Michael Brantley embrace a Spring Training hitting coach role. I think I’ve already mentioned a Zoom role during the season. I know he wants to stay home with his kids. I do think a guy like Yainer can still be coached. I’m pretty sure a guy like Altuve can’t.
I still can’t help but to think that Crane might have been trying to go in a different direction but just could not make it happen.
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I agree Dave. Looking at Dana Brown, at least, he came onboard for the ’23 season and the club lost to the Rangers in the Championship series. In the ’24 season, the club was swept, by the Tigers, in the Wildcard series. This past season, the club did not make the postseason.
The club has gone backwards since Dana Brown came onboard.
I am waiting any news regarding the coaching staff.
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I am really torn on the club keeping Dana and Joe.
Both guys had to live with the mistakes made when James Click was fired and Dana was not hired for multiple months. (Jose Abreu, Rafael Montero, Michael Brantley signed during that time as I recall).
Both have had to work through what has been the worst run of buzzard’s luck with injuries, both last year and this year.
Both have made mistakes – who doesn’t?
Are they the ones to lead the team back to a Championship? Right now, we do not know if they are the ones to lead them back to the playoffs.
I do hope there are other moves made – sure would like to see a few changes on the coaching staff.
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Just now reading Mc Taggart’s fluff from this morning. We all know we need pitching and to move some dead weight. But do we really want to consider bolstering (Mc Taggart’s word) the catchers position by trading Yainer? I agree we should try to get Caratini signed again. But at 34, he’s not going to be the main man. He can’t throw, and he’s bound to start regressing at the plate. Diaz had a bad year and still posted a 2.7 WAR. Making the minimum, he’s given us a 9 WAR in three years, is under team control for three more, and his framing weakness will not have nearly the same negative impact with the new rule in effect. He still might be one of the big hitters on this club and he’s durable. We need more durable. If he gets traded, it better be for a significant rotation addition.
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I read the CBoxes and they are rabid in wanting to trade Diaz away. Hey, bulletin guys. Catchers that hit .250+, slug 20+ homeruns and drive in 50+ runs don’t grow on trees. I suppose they want a catcher that bats under .200, hits maybe 5 homeruns and drives in 25 runs.
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