HOUSTON, TX – October 9, 2025 – The Houston Astros announced significant changes to their coaching staff and front office on Wednesday, parting ways with hitting coaches Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker, catching coach Michael Collins, head athletic trainer Jeremiah Randall, and assistant general manager Andrew Ball.
The moves come one day after the organization confirmed that general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada would return for the 2026 season, signaling a commitment to the current leadership structure while acknowledging the need for fresh approaches in other areas following Houston’s first playoff absence since 2016.
Hitting Coaches Dismissed After Seven-Year Run
Cintrón and Snitker, who served as co-hitting coaches since 2019, oversaw an offense that led the American League in all three triple-slash categories from 2019-24. However, the Astros finished with just a 100 wRC+ in 2025, indicating league-average offensive production—a significant decline from the elite standards Houston maintained during their championship window.
Cintrón first joined the Astros as an interpreter before becoming first base coach and eventually ascending to hitting coach. His partnership with Snitker, who previously served as a minor league hitting coach, guided some of the most prolific offensive seasons in franchise history. Despite their track record, the team’s offensive struggles in 2025—compounded by the departures of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, as well as injuries to Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes—ultimately led to the organization seeking a new direction.
Medical Staff Shakeup Following Injury-Plagued Season
Perhaps the most telling change is the dismissal of Randall, who spent 10 seasons as Houston’s head athletic trainer. According to Baseball Prospectus’ Injured List Ledger, no team lost more value to injuries than the Astros in 2025, with 28 different players landing on the injured list throughout the season.
The organization faced particular scrutiny for how it handled injuries to stars like Alvarez and Jake Meyers. With 2025 All-Stars Jeremy Peña, Josh Hader, and Isaac Paredes all missing substantial time, and Alvarez limited to just 48 games, the medical staff’s departure appears directly tied to the unprecedented injury crisis that derailed Houston’s season.
FanGraphs estimated the Astros lost more potential value on the injured list than any other team, a statistic that proved decisive in the team’s collapse from a seven-game lead in the AL West on July 6 to ultimately missing the playoffs entirely.
Additional Staff Departures
Collins, who joined the Astros as a bullpen catcher in 2018 before taking over catching coach duties in 2019, is also departing. The Australian native, who grew up playing cricket before learning baseball, was part of a coaching staff that helped develop Houston’s catching depth over recent seasons.
Ball’s dismissal represents a significant front office change. The assistant GM, who previously worked in the Rays and Angels organizations, joined the Astros prior to the 2022 season and oversaw the team’s research & development and sports medicine & performance departments. He was part of the interim group that managed the front office between James Click’s departure and Brown’s arrival in January 2023.
Looking Ahead
The wholesale changes leave significant vacancies for the organization to fill as they prepare for 2026. With Brown and Espada retained to provide leadership continuity, the task now falls to them to assemble a new coaching staff and support structure capable of returning Houston to playoff contention.
The dismissals represent a recognition that despite injuries and roster turnover, the organization’s performance fell well short of expectations in 2025. The Astros finished 87-75 and tied with Detroit for the final Wild Card spot but lost the tiebreaker, ending their eight-year postseason streak.
Brown acknowledged last week that he would examine every aspect of baseball operations this offseason, stating, “I think it cost us the postseason from all the injuries. I figure we’d get two or three more wins if we had all of our guys.”
The search for replacements in all five positions will be a top priority as the Astros attempt to rebuild their infrastructure and return to championship contention. The organization has not announced a timeline for filling the vacant positions or provided details on the search process.