The Houston Astros couldn’t reach the postseason, but life goes on — and one of their first moves has been saying goodbye to several key staff members, including hitting coach Alex Cintrón and three others.
It’s not just the coaches. “More significant changes within the Astros: a source says Astros assistant GM Andrew Ball isn’t being retained, in addition to head athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall,” reported Brian McTaggart on X.
The report on Cintrón was first revealed by Chandler Rome in an article for The Athletic. Rome also wrote, “More changes also could be coming to manager Joe Espada’s coaching staff, according to league sources,” suggesting the organization’s goal with these moves is to strengthen the team heading into next year.
Help for the Astros’ Catchers
McTaggart also revealed that the Astros plan to address their catching situation by parting ways with a coach who worked closely with catchers throughout the season. The organization simply won’t bring him back next year.
“In addition to Alex Cintrón, the Astros are also not retaining hitting coach Troy Snitker and Major League coach Michael Collins, who worked closely with the catchers, according to multiple sources,” McTaggart wrote on X.
As for speculation about general manager Dana Brown’s future, McTaggart clarified in an article for MLB.com: “Still, some speculation persisted about the futures of both men, even though they already had contracts for 2026, the source said. That gives the Astros some stability heading into an important season following Houston’s first year without making the playoffs since 2016.”
Roster Changes Coming
There’s still little clarity on the deeper roster changes ahead, but fans are particularly watching for updates on Framber Valdez. After the All-Star break, Valdez turned his season around with a 2.06 ERA and a 5–0 record. So far, there’s no word of a new deal for him — though Newsweek reported the Mets could be prepared to offer $150 million.