Astros will bring back GM Dana Brown, manager Joe Espada for 2026 despite late-season collapse, per report

The Houston Astros are bringing back both general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada for 2026, according to MLB.com. Both Brown and Espada were already under contract for next season anyway, so the assertion here is that both will get the chance to finish their contracts. 

The Astros in 2025 finished 87-75, three games behind the AL West champion Seattle Mariners. The Astros built up a seven-game lead at one point and still were in first place as late as Sept. 17. They then lost six of their next seven games and were left on the outside looking in for the playoffs. 

This marks the first time the Astros did not make the playoffs since 2016. There’s a downward trajectory, too. From 2017-23, they made the ALCS every single year, winning four American League pennants and two World Series titles. They won 106 games in 2022, 90 in 2023, 88 in 2024 and 87 this season. 

This season was marred by injuries. Slugging DH Yordan Alvarez only appeared in 48 games. Infielders Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes both had productive years but also missed chunks of time. On the pitching side, Spencer Arrighetti was held to seven starts and Lance McCullers Jr. made 13. Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia and J.P. France all missed most of the season while recovering from surgery from past years. Closer Josh Hader spent time on the IL too.

Brown has his work cut out for him this coming offseason. The Astros need to figure out who they want to count on in the rotation, especially coming off all those injuries and with veteran lefty Framber Valdez hitting free agency. 

The bar is Houston was raised from 2017-24 and missing the playoffs is no longer acceptable. Brown and Espada survived one year of it, but all bets are off if it happens again in 2026.