HOUSTON, TX – December 10, 2025 – The Houston Astros announced Tuesday they have agreed to sell three of their minor league affiliates—the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Triple-A), Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A), and Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Single-A)—to Diamond Baseball Holdings, a private-equity organization that owns more than 40 minor league baseball teams nationwide.
The sale reflects a growing trend across Major League Baseball as teams offload venue operations while maintaining player development pipelines. All three teams will remain Astros affiliates, with Houston retaining control of player development while DBH manages business operations.
The clubs will continue operating under their existing local leadership: GM Tyler Stamm in Sugar Land, Brady Ballard in Corpus Christi, and Michelle Skinner in Fayetteville. DBH plans to retain current employees, ensuring operational continuity.
Sugar Land was established as the independent league Skeeters in 2012 before the Astros acquired the team in April 2021, rebranding them as the Space Cowboys. The team won the Triple-A national championship in 2024 and plays at Constellation Field under a lease running through 2045.
Corpus Christi became Houston’s Double-A affiliate in 2005, with the Astros purchasing the team from Ryan-Sanders Baseball in 2013. The Hooks play at Whataburger Field under a lease extending through 2035.
Fayetteville, which debuted in 2019 as an Astros affiliate, marked the first affiliated baseball since the Detroit Tigers moved the Fayetteville Generals in 1998.
The sale is expected to close in the coming weeks, pending league approval and standard closing conditions. The Asheville Tourists, Houston’s High-A affiliate, remain independently owned by DeWine Seeds Silver Dollar Baseball, LLC.
For more information, visit mlb.com/astros.
