BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
How grievances with Espada from Astros' stars lead us to four irrefutable conclusions
May 14, 2024, 1:18 pm
Winning cures everything. Composite Getty Image.
I was surprised last week when USA Today baseball writer Bob Nightengale suggested that a couple of the Astros star players have complained privately about Joe Espada’s communication skills.
Nightengale’s blind item: “The Houston Astros plan to give rookie manager Joe Espada plenty of time to see if they turn their season around, particularly with their pitching injuries, but two prominent players have privately expressed complaints about Espada’s communication skills in recent weeks.”
Only two? I was surprised that it wasn’t the entire team. The Astros were a disappointing 15-25, mired in fourth place in the American League West, on the day Nightengale’s little scoop ran. Somebody has to take the heat for the upside-down season and Espada is the easiest target.
It was President Kennedy who said “victory has a thousand fathers but defeat is an orphan.”
Little orphan Joe Espada.
True story: when I was little, my mother overheard the sports anchor on TV say that the Yankees had fired their manager. Now my mother made a fantastic chicken soup but when it came to sports she couldn’t tell you the shape of the object that pitchers throw toward home plate. She said, “Why did they fire the manager? He told the players to hit home runs. They should fire the players.”
I’ll bet Espada’s communication skills have improved now that the Astros have won four of their last five games and Alex Bregman bashed two homers and a double Monday against the Oakland A’s.
I used to work with Bob Nightengale in Phoenix. We played on the same intramural basketball team. I don’t doubt for one second that two Astros bitched about Espada off the record. But nothing succeeds like success and the Astros have crept to within six games of division-leading Seattle. The Astros just started a 10-game homestand, including six more very winnable games against the A’s and Angels. Espada could be a silver-tongued devil in no time.
It’s hard to figure out baseball, especially when it comes to figures. You want weird? The Astros have stunk this season, right? OK, so which team has the highest batting average in all of MLB? Of course it’s the Astros who are hitting a collective .263.
The Astros actually are hitting significantly better, at least as far as batting averages go, than they did last year when they won the American League West. The 2023 Astros batted .259, fifth overall in MLB.
In 2022, the year they won their second World Series, the Astros hit a mediocre .248, 12th among MLB teams.
In 2017, the Astros first World Series year, the team led MLB with what’s now a ridiculously high .282 average.
So what does all this mean? It means don’t give up on the Astros. Don’t give up on Espada. Don’t count on numbers. And players who squawk about the manager should put their name on it.
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The 2025 season hasn't gone according to script for the Houston Astros. Injuries, slumps, and a retooled roster have left fans asking whether this version of the Astros is underwhelming—or if, given all the turmoil, they might actually be overachieving.
When Houston dealt Kyle Tucker, a franchise cornerstone, the move raised eyebrows. Tucker was a consistent producer and an anchor in right field. In return, the Astros received infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and third baseman now outfielder Cam Smith—players who didn’t bring the same star power but offered versatility and upside.
Paredes has delivered as advertised. He’s brought steady production at the plate and the ability to play a solid third base. While he may not be with the team beyond 2027 if the front office sticks to its recent pattern of letting players walk in free agency, his presence right now is stabilizing an otherwise inconsistent lineup.
Then there’s Cam Smith, who might be the real key to this deal. After a slow start and questions about whether he or Zach Dezenzo was the better option in right field, Smith has surged. Over the past 30 days, he’s hit north of .300 and shown signs of becoming a long-term fixture. The biggest question now is positional: Is he Houston’s future in right field, or could he eventually slide over to third base if/when Paredes departs? That decision will ripple through future roster planning and could define how this trade is remembered.
In the meantime, however, he’s shown flashes of being a quality everyday player. But it’s not uncommon for young hitters to take a step back after an initial surge. The Astros need him to keep proving it, but the potential is unmistakable.
Underwhelming or overachieving?
Elsewhere on the roster, the results are mixed. Players like Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini, who came into the season with modest expectations, have performed admirably. Meanwhile, stars like José Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Díaz have underperformed, leaving the offensive output uneven. Add in the extended absence of Yordan Álvarez and the loss of three-fifths of the starting rotation, and it's fair to say Houston has had more than its share of adversity.
King of the hill
One area where the Astros have arguably found a diamond in the rough is Bryan King. With a 1.52 ERA in 2025, King has passed the eye test as a potential long-term solution in high-leverage relief situations. He’s been more than capable, building on a solid 2.39 ERA in 2024. His performance has solidified his place in the bullpen, and he’s taken on ownership of his role. However, it’s important for the Astros to temper expectations, especially after the lessons learned from the Rafael Montero signing. King looks like the real deal, but he still has a ways to go before being considered a true elite option out of the 'pen.
What should we make of the Alex Bregman quad injury?
Bregman’s injury doesn’t really change the conversation around whether the Astros should have extended him. If anything, it highlights the complexity of roster decisions. Houston could’ve kept Bregman, shifted Paredes to first base, and potentially avoided spending big on Christian Walker. But injuries are part of the game—Yordan Álvarez has missed nearly half the season, and no one’s suggesting the Astros should regret signing him. Kyle Tucker missed significant time last year, too, and he’s about to land a massive contract. Players get hurt. That’s baseball.
Moving forward
While the Astros have struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances, they have managed to remain competitive—perhaps even overachieving given the circumstances. The team's depth, the surprising performances from certain players, and the emergence of promising new talent have allowed them to hold their ground, currently possessing a Wild Card spot in the AL if the season were to end today.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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