The Houston Astros were eliminated in the Wild Card series after getting swept by the Chicago White Sox, and there could be some changes coming for the team soon. The first domino to fall will probably be manager Joe Espada, as owner Jim Crane is very much thinking about parting ways with him quickly, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.

“The Astros won the AL West, albeit with an 81-81 record, the worst for a full-season division champion since the inception of divisional play in 1969. Crane told the Associated Press that the postseason berth will be ‘something to consider' when evaluating Espada’s future. But it’s not difficult to see where this is going,” Rosenthal wrote.

After their loss against the White Sox, Espada shared that he's supposed to have a conversation with Crane in the coming days, and he also hadn't heard anything about the status of his job.

“Jim has been very clear about his process and when he wants to have that conversation,” Espada said via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. “I respect the process and how blessed I’ve been to be here for over nine years and experience so many division titles, championship series, World Series, winning one. As a bench coach, as a manager, I have witnessed so many great moments. So obviously, I would like to continue enjoying those moments.”

Article Continues Below

Espada has been a part of some good moments with the Astros, but their lack of recent success will be the thing that drives him out of Houston.

As for the players, they all know winning is at the top of the list of things they need to do going into next season. Their goal was to make a deep playoff run this season, but things didn't turn out that way.

“We have to find a way to come back and get deep into the playoffs and win,” Jose Altuve said.