Joe Espada was let go today by the Astros. No surprise.

Per the Chronicle, one of the names on a list of possible replacements is Dodgers' bench coach Danny Lehmann.

I haven’t looked at the Chronicle story but I predict it will be Brad Ausmus. New hire won’t have it easy with an aging team and a suspect minor league system. And an owner who really doesn’t spend much.

Espada seemed like a good guy but maybe he didn’t make the best decisions. I remember shortly after he was hired, he and his friend Jose Cruz Jr. went to a Rice basketball game (and stayed for the whole game - see my previous sentence :) )

(10-14-2026 03:38 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I haven’t looked at the Chronicle story but I predict it will be Brad Ausmus. New hire won’t have it easy with an aging team and a suspect minor league system. And an owner who really doesn’t spend much.

Espada seemed like a good guy but maybe he didn’t make the best decisions. I remember shortly after he was hired, he and his friend Jose Cruz Jr. went to a Rice basketball game (and stayed for the whole game - see my previous sentence :) )

Ausmus helping his buddy Bagwell solidify his standing in the front office would be a very bad outcome for the Astros.

(10-14-2026 04:50 PM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(10-14-2026 03:38 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I haven’t looked at the Chronicle story but I predict it will be Brad Ausmus. New hire won’t have it easy with an aging team and a suspect minor league system. And an owner who really doesn’t spend much.

Espada seemed like a good guy but maybe he didn’t make the best decisions. I remember shortly after he was hired, he and his friend Jose Cruz Jr. went to a Rice basketball game (and stayed for the whole game - see my previous sentence :) )

Ausmus helping his buddy Bagwell solidify his standing in the front office would be a very bad outcome for the Astros.

+1

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com mentioned Danny Lehmann as a potential candidate.

(10-14-2026 08:48 PM)Baconator Wrote:  Brian McTaggart of MLB.com mentioned Danny Lehmann as a potential candidate.

Wow - that would be awesome!!!!