Astros' decision with Joe Espada expected to rely on playoff outcome originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Astros are currently in playoff position, sitting at 63-61 after an incredible mid-season turnaround that's brought them back into the race.
While they're still a game back from earning a first-round bye, just getting into the postseason would be a massive win for how the season began. That's especially the case for Joe Espada.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Espada's future relies on whether the Astros make the postseason or not. If they get in, he keeps his job. The Astros collapse and miss the playoffs, and Espada might be out of a job.
Joe Espada's job relies on playoff berth
"In the American League, Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson is expected to be fired if the Mariners miss the playoffs, and the same goes for Houston Astros manager Joe Espada," Nightengale writes.
This should not be a huge surprise for the Astros and Espada, as there was some buzz last season about his job being in jeopardy.
Considering the bad start to the season, to the point that the Astros were rumored to be major sellers, with both Espada and Dana Brown potentially on the cusp of being fired, their futures with the team being dependent on making the playoffs makes sense.
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As of August 16, the Astros are in good shape to make the postseason. They're 2.0 games up on the Texas Rangers in the AL West, and 5.0 games up on the Seattle Mariners.
Yordan Alvarez is playing at an MVP level, as he has a real chance to secure the Triple Crown, which hasn't been done since Miguel Cabrera back in 2012.
The pitching has been better, thanks to an improved bullpen with Josh Hader. And Carlos Correa might even be back, as his recovery has gone a lot better than most expected.
All that to say, Espada's job security is reliant on the Astros making the postseason, according to Nightengale, is not in a terrible spot despite such uncertainty.
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