{
  "id": 10544801,
  "title": "Astros owner Jim Crane says team's playoff berth will factor into decision on manager Joe Espada",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/astros-owner-jim-crane-says-teams-playoff-berth-will-factor-into",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-28T22:13:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/astros-owner-jim-crane-says-221326178.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Houston Astros owner Jim Crane indicated on Monday that the team's potential playoff berth will be a factor in the decision regarding manager Joe Espada's future, whose contract expires at the end of the season. There have been no recent talks about extending Espada's contract, and they plan to discuss the matter once the season concludes. When speaking to The Associated Press, Crane stated that both positive and negative circumstances, such as Houston winning the AL West or missing out last year, would be considered in the decision-making process. Following the departure of general manager Dana Brown in mid-August, three assistant general managers and senior adviser Jeff Bagwell took over his duties. Despite concerns about the unorthodox move, Crane expressed satisfaction with the team's performance and communication. Houston secured a playoff spot by finishing 81-81, becoming the first MLB team to reach the postseason without a winning record. The Astros are now set to play the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, starting on Tuesday. This marks the team's ninth playoff appearance in the last decade, with seven consecutive ALCS appearances from 2017 to 2023, including two World Series championships in 2017 and 2022.",
  "summary": "Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said Monday the team's playoff berth will be “something to consider” when deciding on the future of manager Joe Espada, whose contract expires after the season. Crane said there have been no discussions about the possibility of a new deal for Espada recently and they’ll sit down and talk about things when the season is over. As for whether Houston winning the AL…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}