Astros begin offseason coaching staff shake-up with departure of key hitting coaches

Once the Houston Astros failed to make the postseason this season, it was clear that someone was going to have to pay for that. Some thought that manager Joe Espada and/or Dana Brown could be on the chopping block, but the most recent reporting has both Astros leaders safe for the moment. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for hitting coach Alex Cintron and others.

There were already hints that Houston's hitting coaches could be in the doghouse when there were reports that both Cintron and Troy Snitker were under a microscope again after the Astros' offense took a nose drive in the second half. With Espada and Brown's status locked in, it appears as though Cintron will be the first domino to fall as the Astros did not renew his contract. However, he was not the last.

Astros jettison hitting coach Alex Cintron, more coaching changes likely to come

Again, this isn't overly surprising news given previous reporting, but it is still pretty wild how Cintron's star has faded. Cintron had been with the organization for nine years, and that included some pretty great Astros offenses. However, back-to-back seasons where Houston hitters chased far too much out of the zone and failed to see many pitches proved to be a bridge too far for the organization.

The same report also indicated that more coaching changes "could be coming" which was definitely not great news for Snitker. Despite being a fixture on the Astros' coaching staff since the 2019 season, it is clear that the focus is currently on the offense's downturn and Snitker is sadly an easy scapegoat for those struggles. As for Collins getting the boot, that is a little bit more surprising, although it is hard to argue with the fact that Yainer Diaz regressed a bit in 2025.

As to what changes could happen beyond that, that is harder to predict. Houston's pitching staff was largely good, which should keep Josh Miller and Mill Murphy pretty safe, and bench coach Omar Lopez is highly regarded within the organization and could be the team's safety net if/when they change their mind about Espada.

In short, heads are starting to roll in the Astros' organization, and there is more likely to come before the offseason officially arrives. However, exactly who will be next is still very much up in the air.