How Hot Are the Seats of Astros GM Dana Brown, Manager Joe Espada?

Jun 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (left) and general manager Dana Brown (right) talk on the field before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic addressed these topics on the Foul Territory podcast: Joe Espada and Dana Brown might not be exempt from the hot seat, even with the number of injuries the Astros have dealt with, says @Ken_Rosenthal . "I don't sense Jim Crane is one to hear excuses.

" pic. twitter. com/ke0fgc5EwQ — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) April 21, 2026 Astros owner Jim Crane is a prideful man, and he has high expectations.

A case can be made that Brown’s ability to reshape the roster has been compromised by Crane’s budgetary constraints, the size of the payroll he inherited, and the mitigated flexibility he’s had as a result. It can certainly be understood that Joe Espada has been given an impossible task for the third straight year, which is winning with large portions of your roster on the injured list for long periods of the season. I’ve heard the argument firing the manager could be a move to try to spark the team, but firing the manager doesn’t make anyone come off IL any faster.

To me, it would be a move of frustration, and not of forward thinking. Espada clearly has a strong relationship with the players, and he has the trust of the front office that he will work in lockstep with them. If the team doesn’t have the financial flexibility to make the required moves, then it’s up to Dana Brown to throw darts and hope to catch some magic in a jar with smaller moves.