Happy Minor League Opening Day!!

Happy Minor League Opening Day!! Here's what you may have missed since the end of last season if you haven't been paying attention ...

TRANSACTIONS

First of all, Dustin has done a great job of keeping everyone up to date with all of the 2018-2019 Offseason Transactions, including all of the offseason trades, releases and other maneuvering. Of particular note is the January 2019 acquisition of three players traded from the Mets for J.D. Davis and Cody Bohanek:

OF Ross Adolph (2018 12th round draft pick out of the University of Toledo) hit .276/.348/.509/.857 in his first professional season at the short season A level. Adolph has been ranked by MLB Pipeline as the #30 prospect in the Astros system and is assigned to full season A Quad Cities to start the season.

2B Luis Santana (19-year old Dominican signed in July 2016) hit .348/.446/.471/.917 in his first season domestically (third season overall) in 2018 for the rookie level Appalachian League. He is currently ranked #21 in the Astros system by MLB Pipeline and is expected to start his season in June with the short season Tri-City team.

C Scott Manea (2014 40th round draft pick out of St. John's HS, Shrewsbury, MA) hit .261/.368/.432/.800 in his first season at the full season A level in 2018 and will start the season with Advanced A Fayetteville.

TOP PROSPECTS

And speaking of MLB Pipeline, here is the pre-season Top 30 Prospect list for the Astros. In addition to the inclusion of Luis Santana and Ross Adolph to the list, there are several other players who weren't on the list at all to end the 2018 season. They are #8 RHP Bryan Abreu (who was added to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft last fall), #12 RHP Peter Solomon, #13 OF Ronnie Dawson, #26 SS/2B Deury Carrasco and #28 RHP Enoli Paredes. Baseball America also included RHP Manny Ramirez (a 19-year old who ended 2018 with the short season A team) and a fully healthy RHP Brady Rodgers (May 2017 TJ surgery) in their 2019 Prospect Handbook. FanGraphs had a few more prospects on their list published last month, as they included 39 players rather than 30. Baseball Prospectus limited their list to 10 with no huge surprises emerging.

With several players poised to graduate from the list (such as current Astros players RHP Josh James and LHP Framber Valdez as well as others who are awaiting their return to Houston), there will likely be a great deal of movement on the list this season. Now that he has fully recovered from an ACL injury in late 2016 that sidelined his 2017 season, I look for 3B Nick Tanielu to be one of the first additions to the Top 30 list as he tries to build on a spectacular spring. I could also easily name 20 pitchers in the system who are on the cusp of really breaking through in a big way. There is a ton of depth in the system, but I think the pitching depth is really the greatest strength in the system right now.

OFFSEASON AND SPRING TRAINING PERFORMANCES

Here are a few players who performed particularly well in fall and winter leagues ...

Arizona Fall League
3B Abraham Toro: 19 G | .348/.463/.561/1.023 | 12 BB:12 K
OF Ronnie Dawson: 25 G | .291/.417/.468/.885 | 10 SB:3 CS
RHP Forrest Whitley: 8 G | 26 IP | 2.42 ERA | 0.96 WHIP | .189 BA | 7 BB:37 K

Dominican Winter League
RHP Rogelio Armenteros: 5 G | 23 IP | 1.17 ERA | 0.70 WHIP | .154 BA | 4 BB:22 K

Mexican Winter League
RHP Humberto Castellanos: 21 G | 22 IP | 2.86 ERA | 1.18 WHIP | .231 BA | 8 BB:15 K

Puerto Rican Winter League
RHP Colin McKee: 10 G | 10.1 IP | 0.00 ERA | 0.48 WHIP | .121 BA | 1 BB:13 K
(Converted 5 of 6 save opportunities)

Venezuelan Winter League
RHP Akeem Bostick: 8 G | 32 IP | 2.81 ERA | 1.06 WHIP | .205 BA | 10 BB:27 K

And a few Spring Training standouts ...

3B Nick Tanielu: 51 AB | .353/.411/.804/1.215
OF Myles Straw: 45 AB | .378/.417/.511/.928
3B Abraham Toro: 44 AB | .341/.396/.591/.987

RHP J.B. Bukauskas: 16 IP | 1.69 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 9 BB:21 K
RHP Forrest Whitley: 15 IP | 3.00 ERA | 1.07 WHIP | 5 BB:17 K
RHP Corbin Martin: 16.1 IP | 3.86 ERA | 1.22 WHIP | 6 BB:16 K

ROSTERS

Dustin serves up a little history and context to go with the Opening Day rosters.

Meet the 2019 Round Rock Express

Meet the 2019 Corpus Christi Hooks

Meet the 2019 Fayetteville Woodpeckers

Meet the 2019 Quad Cities River Bandits

COACHING STAFF

Dustin also put together this great post on the minor league coaching staff for each of the Astros minor league teams in 2019. Notably absent from the 2019 staff are Rodney Linares, Josh Bonifay, Chris Holt and Morgan Ensberg. A long-time MiLB Manager in the Astros system, Linares is now the third base coach for the Rays. Bonifay, MiLB Field Coordinator for the Astros in 2018, is now the Director of Player Development for the Phillies. Chris Holt went from MiLB Pitching Coordinator for the Astros in 2018 to fill that same position for the Orioles in 2019. Ensberg managed the Buies Creek Astros to a league championship in 2018; he will now be helming the Rays AA affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits. Also missing from the 2019 staff is Cesar Cedeno who has been a hitting coach in the Astros system for several years.

2018 FINAL STANDINGS

As a reminder, this is how the various Astros minor league teams finished in 2018 (including postseason results). The AAA team has moved from Fresno to Round Rock in 2019 and the Advanced A team has moved from Buies Creek into their new home in Fayetteville in 2019. They remain in the same leagues; however, the AAA team will be in a new division of the Pacific Coast League now that they are in Round Rock.

AAA FRESNO (Pacific Coast League) - Won the PCL Pacific Northern Division

1st 82-57 .590 -.-GB W1

POSTSEASON
Won the Pacific Conference Championship 3-2 over El Paso
Lost the Pacific Coast League Championship series to Memphis 3-1

AA CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League) - Won both 1st and 2nd halves in South Division

1st 82-56 .594 -.-GB W2 (overall)
1st 39-30 .565 -.-GB W2 (second half)
1st 43-26 .623 -.-GB W5 (first half division winner)

POSTSEASON
Lost the South Division Championship Series to San Antonio 3-2
San Antonio went on to lose to Tulsa in the Texas League Championship Series 3-0

Adv A BUIES CREEK (Carolina League) - Won the 2nd half in the Southern Division

2nd 80-57 .584 3.5GB W2 (overall)
1st 43-25 .632 -.-GB W2 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

POSTSEASON 🏆
Won the Southern Division Championship 3-0 over Winston-Salem
Won the one-game* League Championship Series 1-0 over Potomac 1-0

*Originally to be a five game series until Hurricane Florence crashed the party.

Low A QUAD CITIES (Midwest League) - Won the 1st half in the Western Division

1st 81-59 .579 -.-GB W5 (overall)
2nd 41-29 .586 4.0GB W5 (second half)
1st 40-30 .571 -.-GB W6 (first half division winner)

POSTSEASON
Lost the Western Division Quarterfinal 2-0 to Peoria
(Peoria went on to win the Western Division Championship series 2-0 over Cedar Rapids, but lost to Bowling Green 3-1 in the best-of-five League Championship Series.)

SSA TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League) - Won the Stedler Division
1st 42-33 .560 -.-GB L2

POSTSEASON 🏆
Won the Semi-Final Championship Series 2-0 over Mahoning Valley
Won the New York-Penn League Championship Series 2-0 over Hudson Valley

Rk GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
2nd 27-28 .491 12.5 L2

Rk DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
6th 30-41 .423 21.0GB L3

OPENING DAY SCHEDULE

Round Rock at New Orleans 7:00 CT
Amarillo at Corpus Christi 6:15 CT
Fayetteville at Potomac 6:05 CT
Quad Cities at Burlington 6:00 CT

OTHER POSTS

In case you missed these, I did a series on 20 years of the MLB draft on all 30 systems. A summary plus links to all the individual team posts can be found here. I also looked at the early results of the 2018 draft and the summary of that info can be found here.

And, finally, I combed through the rosters to find former Astros farmhands who are still playing in affiliated baseball. That post is here. I will do my annual post looking at former Astros playing in independent ball later this month.

And with that said, I think the only thing left to say is good luck to all the players out there and ...

PLAY BALL!!!

2019 Astros Minor League Coaching Staffs

The Houston Astros have released their minor league staff assignments for 2019. I'll update this post if/when they have the official press release.

(Coordinators, GCL, and DSL staffs from Climbing Tal's Hill)

COORDINATORS

Hitting: Jeremy Barnes
Pitching: Bill Murphy
Catchers: Mark Bailey
Fundamentals: Jason Bell

ROUND ROCK EXPRESS

Former Astro Mickey Storey moves up from Quad Cities to take the helm of the Express in the first season of their second stint as the Astros' Triple-A affiliate after being reclaimed from the Rangers.

Drew French and Ben Rosenthal both move up from Buies Creek, where they oversaw the Carolina League champions' pitchers and hitters, respectively.

Manager: Mickey Storey
Pitching Coach: Drew French
Hitting Coach: Ben Rosenthal

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Graham Johnson joins Omar Lopez's staff as the Hooks' pitching coach after spending 2018 with Quad Cities in the same capacity.

Tim LaMonte is new to the Astros organization. According to the Hooks' press release, LaMonte has been a private hitting instructor based in Texas for over 20 years and ran his own facility, In The Box Athletics, located in Sunnyvale, Texas, a small town near Dallas.

Manager: Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach: Graham Johnson
Hitting Coach: Tim LaMonte

FAYETTEVILLE WOODPECKERS

A new coaching staff will take over the Woodpeckers, who are finally getting the chance to settle into their new home after two seasons at Campbell University in Buies Creek.

Nate Shaver takes over as the manager; he was previously a development coach for Buies Creek.

New hitting coach Jason Kanzler played for three seasons in the Twins system after they drafted him in the 20th round of the 2013 draft, advancing as far as Class A Advanced. Prior to taking this job, Kanzler spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Katy High School.

Thomas Whitsett, the Woodpeckers' pitching coach, comes from the University of Arizona, where he was the Director of Player Development-Pitchers.

Manager: Nate Shaver
Pitching Coach: Thomas Whitsett
Hitting Coach: Jason Kanzler

QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Ray Hernandez gets his first shot at managing a team. In 2018, he served as a development coach for Fresno. He'll be joined by Rafael Peña and Erick Abreu.

Hernandez was drafted by the D-Backs in the 48th round of the 2011 draft out of Cal State Fullerton and pitched for two seasons in their system.

Abreu was originally signed by the Yankees in 2003 and pitched in the Astros system from 2008-12. He began his coaching career in the Dominican Summer League in 2013 and has moved up the organizational ladder one level at a time, spending last year as Tri-City's pitching coach.

Peña, the lone holdover from Quad Cities' 2018 staff, spent last season as the development coach.

Manager: Ray Hernandez
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu
Hitting Coach: Rafael Peña

TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS

The defending New York-Penn League champions will have an all-new staff in 2019. As a side note... all of these guys are the same age as me. Well, they're all older than me but they were all born in the same year as me.

New manager Ozney Guillén is the youngest son of former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén. According to the ValleyCats' press release, Guillén just wrapped up his playing career, which was mainly spent in the independent leagues and Venezuela. In his first coaching job, he gets to take the reins of a team right out of the gate. He takes over for Jason Bell, who will assume a new role as Fundamentals Coordinator.

New pitching coach John Kovalik spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach at his alma mater, Slippery Rock University, a Division II school in Pennsylvania.

Sean Godfrey, the ValleyCats' new hitting coach, was drafted by the Braves in the 22nd round out of Ball State in 2014 and played in the Atlanta organization until 2016. He spent the last two seasons with the Schaumburg Flyers in the independent Frontier League.

Manager: Ozney Guillén
Pitching Coach: John Kovalik
Hitting Coach: Sean Godfrey

GULF COAST LEAGUE ASTROS

No changes for the Palm Beach Stros.

Manager: Wladimir Sutil
Pitching Coach: Jose Rada
Hitting Coach: Rene Rojas

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE ASTROS

Carlos Lugo takes over as manager; he previously managed the now-defunct DSL Astros Orange team in 2016. Ernesto Irizarry is the new hitting coach.

Manager: Carlos Lugo
Pitching Coach: Rick Aponte
Hitting Coach: Ernesto Irizarry

There are no changes in the coaching staff down in the Dominican as Erik Acevedo, Alejandro Martinez, Selin Aquino, Luis Reynoso, and Starlyng Sanchez will all return as instructors in 2019.

Astros Minor League Opening Day: 4/5

Everything you wanted to know about Astros MiLB Opening Day, but were afraid to ask!!! The season officially starts on Thursday, April 5th for all of the Astros full season teams.

OPENING DAY ROSTERS

Here's the breakdown of the Astros Full Season Opening Day rosters, including how/when the players were signed, where they were last season (and how they did) and a few notable players who are missing (and, in most cases, presumably on the DL to start the season).

For a bit more of a breakdown. On MiLB Opening Day, I show 233 players in the system who are NOT on the 40-man roster. This is how they break down:

140 international free agents
71 from the June Draft
8 non-drafted free agents
8 acquired in trades
5 minor league free agents
1 Rule 5 draft pick (minor league phase)

The international players are from (there are more than 140 because of trades and MiLB FA):

65 from the Dominican Republic
48 from Venezuela
12 from Cuba
9 from Panama
8 from Mexico
2 from Brazil
1 from Costa Rica

COACHING STAFF

And here is the info on the Astros 2018 minor league coaching staff.

PLAYER PROFILES

I have compiled all of the recent Beyond the Top 30 prospect profile links (over 140 Astros minor league player profiles or mini-profiles!) into one post and have pinned it to the front page for easy reference. As a reminder, I did not include profile write-ups of any players that had already made their MLB debut in those posts.

TOP PROSPECT LISTS

Also, the Consensus Top 32 Astros Prospect List is pinned to the front page. This includes rankings from Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline.

ASTROS ON TWITTER/INSTAGRAM

I've updated my twitter list of Astros players. If you have any that I'm missing, let me know! I've also updated my Instagram account to follow as many of the Astros minor leaguers as I could find. Feel free to wade through all of my follows to find some of your favorites (I do have a number of former Astros in there as well.) It's a really good way to get a feel for some of the Latin players who may not be on twitter!

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

And here is the final edition of the 2017-2018 Offseason Transactions post. I plan to keep an ongoing transaction list on signings, releases and trades throughout the season and I will keep that pinned on the front page of the blog as well.

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And, before I bring you the game info for Opening Day, I have one very important announcement. The one and only Dustin Nguyen will be back this season, bringing you THE BEST minor league recaps in the biz. Honestly, I don't know how he does it day in and day out, but he always adds little interesting tidbits here and there in addition to giving us full-blown recaps every day ... even when the short season teams start up and he has double the workload! Seriously, Dustin is the best and I am beyond happy that he will be back.

Now, without further ado ...

OPENING DAY INFORMATION

All games are on Thursday, April 5th.

FRESNO
The Grizzlies will start their season on the road in Reno at 8:35 central time with RHP Mike Hauschild on the mound for Fresno. The game will be available on MiLB.tv. Their home opener will be next Tuesday the 10th as they host Tacoma. The temperature at game time is forecast to be in the upper 50's.

CORPUS CHRISTI
The Hooks will also start their season with a long road trip to Springdale, Arkansas to face the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Game time will be at 6:25 central with LHP Framber Valdez getting the start for the Hooks. The game will be available on MiLB.tv. The home opener for the Hooks will be one week later (Thursday the 12th) and they will once again face Northwest Arkansas. Game time temperature is forecast to be in the mid to high 50's.

BUIES CREEK
The BC Astros will be traveling to Salem, Virginia to start their season with RHP Jorge Alcala the scheduled starter for the Astros. The game starts at 6:05 central and will be available on MiLB.tv. The BC Astros home opener will be on Thursday, April 12th, and will also be against the Salem Red Sox. Game time temperature is forecast to be in the mid 50's.

QUAD CITIES
The River Bandits will be the only Astros team to start the season at home as they host the Cedar Rapid Kernels. The announced starter will be LHP Patrick Sandoval. The game will start at 6:35 central and will be available on MiLB.tv. The current forecast has game time temperature around 40 degrees.

If you wish to subscribe to MiLB.tv, the information is here. Audio of all games is free by clicking on the link to the game on the team page.

2016 Astros Minor League Coaching Staff

Quite a number of changes were made to the original coaching staff roster that was announced back in October. Most notable was former Corpus Christi Hooks Pitching Coach Doug Brocail's departure as he took on that role for the Rangers major league club. Dave Borkowski, Pitching Coach of the Quad Cities club in 2015, was moved to replace Brocail for the Hooks. 2015 Tri-City Pitching Coach Chris Holt will replace Borkowski at Quad Cities. Fresno Pitching Coach Ace Adams, originally listed as the Tri-City Pitching Coach, departed for a job with the Tigers organization.

Also, Managers Josh Bonifay and Omar Lopez were moved around from that original list and Ramon Vazquez, formerly a coach on the Lancaster team will now be the JetHawks new Manager. 2015 Tri-City Hitting Coach Russ Steinhorn will be headed to the Dominican Republic to manage one of the two DSL Astros teams there. Tri-City Pitching Coach Drew French and Hitting Coach Dillon Lawson and Greeneville Pitching Coach Bill Murphy were added to the mix and will be new to the organization.

I'll pin this revised list to the front page sidebar for easy reference.

2016 ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE COACHING STAFF

(Preliminary List: Subject to Minor Changes)

COORDINATORS, ROVERS AND MEDICAL STAFF
Field Coordinator: Paul Runge
Pitching Coordinator: Doug White
Hitting Coordinator: Jeff Albert
Catching Coordinator: Mark Bailey
Infield Coordinator: Adam Everett
Mindset Coach: Morgan Ensberg
Roving Outfield Instructor: Leon Roberts
Complex Coordinator-Pitching: Josh Miller
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Brendan Verner
Latin American Strength & Conditioning Coordinator: Rachel Balkovec
Rehab Coordinator: Daniel Roberts

FRESNO (AAA)
Manager: Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach: Dyar Miller
Hitting Coach: Ralph Dickenson
Athletic Trainer: Bryan Baca
Strength & Conditioning: Trey Wiedman

CORPUS CHRISTI (AA)
Manager: Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach: Dave Borkowski
Hitting Coach: Dan Radison
Athletic Trainer: Grant Hufford
Strength & Conditioning: Taylor Rhoades

LANCASTER (A+)
Manager: Ramon Vazquez
Pitching Coach: Mike Burns
Hitting Coach: Darryl Robinson
Athletic Trainer: Michael Rendon
Strength & Conditioning: Dwayne Peterson

QUAD CITIES (A-)
Manager: Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach: Chris Holt
Hitting Coach: Joel Chimelis
Coach: Wladimir Sutil
Athletic Trainer: Corey O'Brien
Strength & Conditioning: Joe Bossard

TRI-CITY (SSA)
Manager: Lamarr Rodgers
Pitching Coach: Drew French
Hitting Coach: Dillon Lawson
Athletic Trainer: John Gregorich
Strength & Conditioning: Mark Spadavecchia

GREENEVILLE (Rk+)
Manager: Josh Bonifay
Pitching Coach: Bill Murphy
Hitting Coach: Cesar Cedeno
Athletic Trainer: Elliot Diehl
Strength & Conditioning: Julio Diaz

GULF COAST LEAGUE (Rk-)
Manager: Marty Malloy
Pitching Coach: Erick Abreu
Hitting Coach: Luis Mateo
Athletic Trainer: Ben Myers

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (FRk)
Manager: Russ Steinhorn
Full list not available

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For profiles on 273 Astros players, stats galore, depth charts, lists of top players in dozens of categories and notable departures, buy the 2016 Houston Farm System Handbook today! The book is now available on Amazon and can be downloaded to your desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone and is compatible with both Android and IOS. Buy yours today!

Minor League Staffing Changes

The Astros announced today that they would be making a few minor league staffing changes. I absolutely love that 2015 Quad Cities Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski will be filling the huge hole that Doug Brocail left in Corpus Christi when he went to the Rangers over the offseason. I advocated for the move at that time. And former Tri-City Pitching Coach Chris Holt is a logical replacement for Borkowski at Quad Cities and should be a solid addition for the RiverBandits.

However, I am a bit surprised and puzzled by the Manager moves at Lancaster, Quad Cities and Greeneville, particularly moving 2015 Quad Cities Manager Josh Bonifay back to the rookie league team in Greeneville after having been named Manager of the Year in the Low A Midwest League in 2015. But then the Astros still don't ask me my opinion on these things. More's the pity.

Astros 2016 Minor League Coaching Staff

The Astros did something very unique today. They announced their minor league field staffs before the end of October. This information isn't usually released until January. I haven't had a chance to go through it with a fine-tooth comb quite yet, but here is the Astros Press Release given to you without comment. (I'll weigh in later with my observations when time allows.)

ASTROS ANNOUNCE 2016 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF

Club returns 45 staff members from the 2015 season

HOUSTON, TX — The Houston Astros announced today their minor league staff for the 2016 season. The Astros coordinators will be Paul Runge (field coordinator), Jeff Albert (hitting coordinator), Doug White (pitching coordinator), Mark Bailey(catching coordinator), Adam Everett (infield coordinator), Morgan Ensberg (mindset coach), Leon Roberts (roving outfield instructor), Josh Miller (complex coordinator-pitching), Brendan Verner (strength and conditioning coordinator) and Daniel Roberts (rehab coordinator).

The managers from the Astros top four minor league affiliates in 2015 will all return to their posts next season, as Tony DeFrancesco (Triple A Fresno), Rodney Linares (Double A Corpus Christi), Omar Lopez (Class A Advanced Lancaster) andJosh Bonifay (Class A Quad Cities) will be back for 2016. Lamarr Rogers, manager of the 2015 Appalachian League Champion Greeneville Astros, will move up to Class A Short Season Tri-City to be the club’s manager for the 2016 season. In the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League, Marty Malloy will return for his third consecutive season as manager of the GCL Astros.

The Astros are returning 45 staff members from the 2015 season. The club will announce the managers and coaches for the Dominican Summer League Astros clubs at a later date.

COORDINATORS AND ROVERS

Paul Runge returns for his sixth season as the Astros minor league field coordinator. Prior to joining the Astros in 2011, Runge compiled 14 years of minor league managerial experience in the Braves system. A veteran of eight Major League seasons as an infielder, Runge managed the Rookie Level Danville Braves to four first place finishes and two league titles prior to joining Houston.

Jeff Albert will enter his third season as Houston’s hitting coordinator after joining the organization in 2013 as roving hitting instructor. Prior to joining the Astros, Albert spent five seasons as a coach in the Cardinals minor league system. A graduate of Butler University, Albert played professionally in the independent leagues and also received his Master’s degree in Exercise Science at Louisiana Tech University.

Doug White has been promoted to pitching coordinator after spending the last two seasons as Houston’s roving pitching instructor. The 2016 season will be his fourth campaign with the Astros, as he joined the organization in 2013 as pitching coach for the New York-Penn League Champion Tri-City ValleyCats. Before joining the Astros, White spent five seasons as a pitching coach in the Cardinals minor league system.

Former Astros catcher and Major League bullpen coach Mark Bailey will enter his 18th year as a coach or instructor in the Astros organization, and his first as catching coordinator. Bailey spent the 2015 season as the club’s roving catching instructor, following two seasons as a developmental specialist with a focus on catching for Double A Corpus Christi.

Adam Everett will return to the Astros in 2016 as the organization’s infield coordinator. The former Houston shortstop of seven seasons has spent the last three years as the Astros infield instructor.

Morgan Ensberg is set to return to the organization for his first season as mindset coach, in what will be his fourth consecutive year working in Houston’s minor league system. In his newly created role, Ensberg will travel throughout the Astros system to help develop the mental skills of the Astros players while implementing organizational initiatives. The former eight-year Major League third baseman spent the last two seasons as the Astros minor league special assignment coach, which followed his professional coaching debut as an infield coach with Class A Advanced Lancaster in 2013.

After spending the last four seasons as the Astros hitting coach at the Triple A level, Leon Roberts will serve as the organization’s roving outfield instructor in 2016. Roberts played outfield in the Major Leagues for 11 seasons, and the 2016 season will be his 39th working in baseball as either a player, coach, manager or coordinator.

Josh Miller will enter a new role as complex coordinator (pitching) following three seasons as Greeneville’s pitching coach and two as a pro scout for the Astros. In his new role, Miller will oversee the Astros pitching programs at their complex in Kissimmee, Fla., which will include the extended Spring Training and rehab pitching programs.

Brendan Verner will serve as Houston’s strength and conditioning coordinator for the fourth consecutive season in 2016. Prior to joining the Astros in 2013, Verner spent six seasons working in the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and San Diego minor league systems, in addition to spending two seasons on Cleveland’s Major League staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Daniel Roberts will return to his role as rehab coordinator for the sixth season. Roberts is based out of the Astros Spring Training complex in Kissimmee, FL, where he assists injured and recovering Major and minor league players with the medical rehabilitation process. Prior to joining the Astros in 2011, Roberts served as an assistant athletic trainer at Charleston Southern University.

TRIPLE A FRESNO GRIZZLIES

After leading the Fresno Grizzlies to the Pacific Coast League and Triple A Championships in 2015, Tony DeFrancesco will return to the Astros organization for his sixth season as Houston’s manager at the Triple A level. Under DeFrancesco’s leadership, which began in 2011, the Astros Triple A clubs have gone 347-303 (.534) while posting a winning record in each of the last four seasons. Prior to joining the Astros, DeFrancesco spent seven seasons as manager at Triple A Sacramento in Oakland’s organization, where he guided the River Cats to six first-place finishes and three PCL titles.

After spending the last three seasons as the Astros minor league pitching coordinator, Dyar Miller will join the Grizzlies coaching staff as pitching coach for the 2016 season. The former Major Leaguer has spent each of the last 48 years working in professional baseball, including an 18-year stint as a coach in the Cardinals organization from 1995-2012. Ralph Dickensonwill also be a new addition to the Grizzlies coaching staff for 2016, as he will serve as hitting coach in what will be his fourth overall season with Houston. During his time with the Astros, Dickenson has been a roving hitting instructor (2015), assistant Major League hitting coach (2014) and hitting coordinator (2013). Bryan Baca will enter his second season as athletic trainer for the Grizzlies and his 10th year overall with the organization, while Trey Wiedman will serve as Fresno’s strength and conditioning coach for the second straight year in what will be his fifth campaign with the Astros.

DOUBLE A CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

The 2015 Texas League Manager of the Year, Rodney Linares, will return to Corpus Christi for his second season as the Hooks manager in 2016. Linares, who will enter his 19th year with the Astros, guided Corpus Christi to the most wins in all of minor league baseball in 2015 (89), helping the Hooks become the second Texas League team in the last 20 years to reach 89 wins in a single season (also San Antonio in 2011, 94-46). Linares has been a manager in the Astros system in each of the last nine seasons, leading the Class A Advanced JetHawks to two California League Championship titles (2012, 2014) while receiving the California League Manager of the Year honors in 2013.

Doug Brocail will begin his second season as pitching coach at Double A Corpus Christi. A veteran of 16 Major League seasons, Brocail was named Special Assistant to the GM and Senior Pitching Advisor prior to the 2014 season, following a stint as the Astros Major League pitching coach from 2011-13. Dan Radison will be back in Corpus Christi as the club’s hitting coach for the second straight season. Radison served as a special assistant in player development in 2014, and was the Astros assistant hitting coach on the Major League staff in 2013. Grant Hufford will be with the Astros for his ninth season in 2016, and his second as Corpus Christi’s athletic trainer. Taylor Rhoades will join the Hooks for his first season as strength and conditioning coach, and his third year overall with the Astros.

CLASS A ADVANCED LANCASTER JETHAWKS

Omar Lopez is set to return to the JetHawks for his second season as manager and his 18th overall with the Astros organization. Lopez led Lancaster to their fourth consecutive postseason appearance in 2015, with the club leading all of minor league baseball in runs scored (888), homers (174), batting average (.291) and OPS (.850). A member of the Astros organization since 1999, Lopez has managed seven seasons in Houston’s system, and led the 2013 Quad Cities River Bandits to a Midwest League Championship title.

Joining Lopez on the coaching staff will be Michael Burns (pitching coach) and Darryl Robinson (hitting coach). Burns, a former Major League relief pitcher who played for the Astros historic 2005 team, spent the last two seasons as the organization’s rehab coach. Robinson has been the JetHawks hitting coach since 2009, and in 2013 was named the California League Coach of the Year after the JetHawks led the minors in runs (976), walks (669), on-base percentage (.384) and OPS (.853). Michael Rendon will enter his second season as the JetHawks trainer and his sixth with the Astros. Dwayne Petersonreturns to the Astros organization for his third season, and his first as the JetHawks strength and conditioning coach.

CLASS A QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS

Josh Bonifay will head back to Quad Cities for his second season as manager after receiving 2015 Midwest League Manager of the Year honors and leading the River Bandits to the best winning percentage in all of the minor leagues (88-50, .638) this past season. In his three years as a manager in Houston’s system, Bonifay has garnered two Manager of the Year awards, as he was also named the Appalachian League Manager of the Year in 2013 while managing Rookie Level Greeneville. An eight-year minor league veteran, Bonifay began his coaching career as a player/coach in the Pirates organization (2007-09) before joining the Astros in 2011.

Dave Borkowski (pitching coach) and Joel Chimelis (hitting coach) return to the River Bandits in their same roles. Borkowski, a former seven-year Major League pitcher, will be Houston’s Class A pitching coaching for the fourth consecutive season, while Chimelis will be returning for his 11th season in the Astros system and his fourth as Quad Cities hitting coach. Wladimir Sutilserve as a coach at Quad Cities in what will be his third season as a coach with the Astros. Corey O’Brien will return to his role as Quad Cities athletic trainer for his second straight year and his fifth overall with the Astros, while Joe Bossard will be returning to the Astros for his second season, and his first as Quad Cities strength and conditioning coach.

CLASS A SHORT SEASON TRI-CITY VALLEYCATS

After leading the Greeneville Astros to the Appalachian League Championship title in his first year as a manager with Houston,Lamarr Rogers will move up to Tri-City to serve as the club’s manager for the 2016 season. Rogers has spent 22 years working in professional baseball as a player and coach, and spent 16 seasons with the St. Paul Saints Professional Baseball Club of the Independent Northern League prior to joining the Astros organization in 2014.

Rogers’ staff will consist of Ace Adams (pitching coach), Russ Steinhorn (hitting coach), John Gregorich (athletic trainer) and Mark Spadavecchia (strength). Adams returns to the Astros for his second season and his first as ValleyCats pitching coach, while Steinhorn will be the club’s hitting coach for the fourth consecutive season. Gregorich enters his second season with the ValleyCats and his third overall with the Astros. Spadavecchia returns to the Astros for his fourth season, and his first as Tri-City’s strength and conditioning coach.

ROOKIE LEVEL GREENEVILLE ASTROS

Greeneville’s manager is TBD, but Chris Holt (pitching coach), Cesar Cedeno (hitting coach), Elliot Diehl (athletic trainer) and Julio Diaz (strength) will comprise the coaching staff. Holt is returning to the Astros for his third season, and his first as Greeneville’s pitching coach. Cedeno returns to Greeneville for his fifth consecutive season, and his 16th as a coach with the Astros. The four-time All-Star played 12 seasons (1970-81) with the Astros and collected five Gold Gloves as an outfielder. Diehl will be entering his second season with the Astros organization, while Diaz will begin his fourth.

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE ASTROS

Marty Malloy returns to the GCL Astros for his fourth season overall and his third as manager. Malloy played 12 seasons (1992-2003) of minor league baseball and appeared in 35 career Major League games while playing for Atlanta (1998) and Florida (2002).

Erick Abreu (pitching coach), Luis Mateo (hitting coach) and Ramon Vazquez (coach) will be joined by Ben Myers (athletic trainer). Abreu pitched five seasons in the Astros minor league system, and has been a coach in the DSL for each of the last two years. Mateo has spent the last seven seasons as a hitting coach in the DSL, while Vazquez has been a coach in the Astros system since 2014. Myers will be returning to the GCL Astros for his second season.

2015 Astros Minor League Coaching Staffs

The Astros announced their minor league coaching staffs, including roving instructors and coordinators, today. As was reported by Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle last week, three of last year's Astros minor league Managers are on the move with Rodney Linares going from Lancaster to Corpus Christi, Omar Lopez going from Quad Cities to Lancaster, and Josh Bonifay going from Greeneville to Quad Cities. Bonifay's replacement at Greeneville has not been announced at this time.

Other than numerous moves within the Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning ranks, most remaining staff will stay put with a couple of notable exceptions. Ralph Dickenson, who was the Astros MLB assistant hitting coach in 2014, will rejoin the minor league ranks as the Roving Hitting Instructor. Dan Radison, who was a Special Assistant for Player Development in 2014, will join the Hooks as Hitting Coach, replacing Tim Garland who will be joining the Quad Cities team as an Outfield/Baserunning Coach. Garland replaces Vince Coleman in that capacity. Coleman and 2014 Corpus Christi Manager Keith Bodie, along with Oklahoma City Pitching Coach Steve Webber who announced he was leaving the team at the end of the 2014 season will not be returning. A former Cardinals minor league coach, Arthur "Ace" Adams, will replace Webber as Pitching Coach for the new AAA affiliate Fresno Grizzlies.

Doug Brocail, interim Pitching Coach for the Hooks in 2014, is now joining the team in that capacity officially as former Hooks Pitching Coach Gary Ruby will be a Pitching Advisor headquartered out of Kissimmee. Tom Lawless was originally intended to be an Infield Coach for Corpus Christi in 2014 when he was pressed into service as the interim Oklahoma City RedHawks Manager as Tony DeFrancesco went on medical leave. He later served as acting Manager of the Astros after Bo Porter was fired. Lawless will now be fulfilling last year's intended assignment and will report to Corpus Christi.

Here is how the rest of the assignments break down:

2015 MINOR LEAGUE COACHING STAFF

Coordinators, Rovers and Medical Staff

Special Assignment Coach - Morgan Ensberg
Pitching Advisor - Gary Ruby

Field Coordinator - Paul Runge
Pitching Coordinator - Dyar Miller
Hitting Coordinator - Jeff Albert
Infield Instructor - Adam Everett
Roving Pitching Instructor - Doug White
Roving Hitting Instructor - Ralph Dickenson
Roving Catching Instructor - Mark Bailey
Strength & Conditioning - Brendan Verner
Medical Coordinator - Jamey Snodgrass
Rehab Coordinator - Daniel Roberts
Rehab Coach - Mike Burns
Athletic Training Advisor - Mike Freer

FRESNO GRIZZLIES (AAA)
Manager - Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach - Arthur "Ace" Adams
Hitting Coach - Leon Roberts
Catching Coach - Jeff Murphy
Athletic Trainer - Bryan Baca
Strength & Conditioning - Trey Wiedman

CORPUS CHRISTI (AA)
Manager - Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach - Doug Brocail
Hitting Coach - Dan Radison
Infield Coach - Tom Lawless
Athletic Trainer - Grant Hufford
Strength & Conditioning - Mark Spadavecchia

LANCASTER (Advanced A)
Manager - Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach - Don Alexander
Hitting Coach - Darryl Robinson
Infield Coach - Ramon Vazquez
Athletic Trainer - Michael Rendon
Strength & Conditioning - Taylor Rhoades

QUAD CITIES (A - Full Season)
Manager - Josh Bonifay
Pitching Coach - Dave Borkowski
Hitting Coach - Joel Chimelis
Outfield/Baserunning Coach - Tim Garland
Athletic Trainer - Corey O'Brien
Strength & Conditioning - Dwayne Peterson

TRI-CITY (A - Short Season)
Manager - Ed Romero
Pitching Coach - Chris Holt
Hitting Coach - Russ Steinhorn
Athletic Trainer - John Gregorich
Strength & Conditioning - James McNichol

GREENEVILLE (Rookie)
Manager - To be announced
Pitching Coach - Josh Miller
Hitting Coach - Cesar Cedeno

GULF COAST LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Marty Malloy
Pitching Coach - Hector Mercado
Hitting Coach - Vinny Lopez
Coach - Wladimir Sutil
Strength & Conditioning - Julio Diaz

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Johan Maya
Manager - Charlie Romero
Development Specialist and Pitching Coordinator - Rick Aponte
Pitching Coach - Erick Abreu
Hitting Coach - Luis Mateo
Hitting Coach - Sixto Ortega
Outfield Coach - Melvi Ortega
Catching Coach - Carlos Lugo
Athletic Trainer - Ambiorix Reyes
Athletic Trainer - Christian Bermudez
Strength & Conditioning - Geremias Guzman
Strength & Conditioning - Miguel Angel Cabrera

Another Astros Outrage Du Jour

Ah, let's look at the latest Astros outrage du jour. Apparently, people who have never heard of Keith Bodie are simply outraged ... OUTRAGED, I TELL YOU ... by his non-renewal as an Astros minor league coach. I do not mean to make light of that fact. One should never cheer for another to lose his/her job. It's not only tacky; it's really bad karma.

But people have a tendency to overlook facts that do not fit with their preconceived narrative, that narrative on this occasion being that Jeff Luhnow and the entire front office are evil personified. But I like facts. I think facts are good, even when they aren't the facts that I want to hear.

The first fact is that all minor league coaches (as far as I've ever heard or known) are on year-to-year contracts. This is the case not just with the Astros, but with all the teams. The second fact is that non-renewals are just not that uncommon. Not only are minor league coaches and managers often non-renewed, they are also re-assigned with little or no input as to where they will be coaching/managing.

Sometimes it's a matter of the performance of the ballclub. Sometimes, it's a matter of trying to create the right staff chemistry. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of putting the right coach/manager at the level where he will be most effective. For example, when Hector Mercado was moved from Greeneville "down to" the Gulf Coast League as the Pitching Coach for that team, I didn't see it as a demotion. I saw it as a perfect fit because he was so effective with the youngest and rawest of pitchers. The pitchers on that 2012 Greeneville team raved about Mercado to me, about how simple, accessible and effective his approach was for those who were new to professional baseball. But I digress. As usual.

Here's another set of facts. Yes, Keith Bodie had a terrific record with the Hooks in 2012, going 81-59, but the team went 0-3 in the first round of the playoffs. In 2013, they were even better at 83-57, and, although they improved their record in the post-season, they still were defeated 3 games to 2 and did not advance beyond the first round. (Keep in mind that the 2013 team was largely constructed of players from the 2012 JetHawks who had won the California League crown the year before.)

Overall, those were excellent outcomes, but I felt certain going in to the 2014 season that the Astros front office, with their emphasis on winning in the minor leagues, were wanting to see the Hooks finally make it out of the first round. And on paper, they were probably expecting them to do just that. I know that I was.

Starting the 2014 season, Keith Bodie was given a team largely constructed from the 82-58 2013 JetHawks who had won both halves of the season and who dominated the competition all season long. But the 2014 Hooks never got off the ground. They sputtered to a 4th place record (out of 4 teams) and ended up going 67-73. Was that Bodie's fault? No, not specifically, but the fact remains that it happened on his watch and the front office had to be disappointed with that outcome. The point is that Bodie's record this year was likely a large factor in the decision. Frankly, I would have been surprised if Bodie had not been, at a minimum, reassigned. The move, to me, was not unexpected.

Another misconception is that the Astros front office has totally decimated the minor league coaching staff that they inherited and installed their own people. Yes, they've added a number of new coaches, but there is a long list of those who they have retained: Tony DeFrancesco, Rodney Linares, Omar Lopez, Josh Bonifay, Ed Romero, Darryl Robinson, Don Alexander, Tom Lawless, Mark Bailey, Dave Borkowski, Joel Chimelis, Hector Mercado and Rick Aponte immediately spring to mind. The popular (and very successful) Stubby Clapp left on his own terms, after having been renewed by the Astros in 2013, to return to his native Canada to coach in the Blue Jays system. I would venture to say that the Bodie non-renewal is only the second high profile non-renewal since Luhnow and company took over, the first being Burt Hooten prior to the 2013 season.

And one final note. Yes, the Astros exert an immense amount of control over the day-to-day management of the minor league teams, from establishing the starting rotation to the use of the shift. Good, bad or indifferent, most clubs either already operate that way or are starting to do so more and more. They are managing a business and they want to have control over how their assets are being used. I personally hate to think of any player as an "asset," but that's the nature of professional sports. As one minor league coach I know would say, "It's just part of the deal."

This Astros front office has stumbled numerous times along the way and they likely will continue to do so from time to time, but they are trying to create a winning strategy. Some of the things that they do will work. Some ultimately won't. They will rightly be blamed for some of the missteps they make, but I intend to base my judgments on those missteps on the facts, not vague suppositions, anonymous sources and knee jerk reactions. There is almost always another side to the story.

With that said, I wish Keith Bodie nothing but the best. I feel certain that he will land a job easily and will benefit from the fresh start.

[Putting away soapbox and exiting stage left.]

2014 Astros Minor League Coaching Staffs

Last week, the Astros had announced their minor league roving instructors and coordinators and today the remainder of the coaching staffs were revealed. By and large, the majority of the coaches, managers and other instructors have remained in place.

Jeff Albert went from Roving Hitting Instructor to Hitting Coordinator, a position which is not listed on today's official release. Ralph Dickenson held the Hitting Coordinator Position in 2013, but is now the Assistant Hitting Coach for the big league club, a position held by Dan Radison in 2013. Radison has been named a Special Assistant for Player Development. Doug White, the 2014 Pitching Coach for the Tri-City ValleyCats was promoted to Roving Pitching Instructor, taking over from Craig Bjornson who will return to the big league club in his prior position of Bullpen Coach.

On the team coaching staffs, all of the Managers, Pitching Coaches and Hitting Coaches are repeating from 2013 with very few exceptions. Edgar Alfonzo, Manager of the Gulf Coast League Astros in 2013 is being replaced by Marty Malloy who served as Hitting Coach for that team in 2013. Malloy is in turn being replaced by Ramon Vasquez as Hitting Coach. Also, Chris Holt, formerly a scout with the Orioles (and not the former Astros pitcher) will be Pitching Coach at Tri-City, replacing Doug White in that capacity.

Other notable moves include the addition of Jeff Murphy, formerly with the big league club, who will be the Catching Coach assigned to Oklahoma City; Tom Lawless' shift from Oklahoma City to Corpus Christi; and Mark Bailey's shift from Corpus Christi to Lancaster.

It is not surprising that the coaching core remains in place. These were the men who guided six of the eight 2013 Astros minor league teams to playoff berths. Don't mess with success!

2014 MINOR LEAGUE COACHING STAFF

Coordinators, Rovers and Medical Staff

Special Assistant, Player Development - Dan Radison
Special Assignment Coach - Morgan Ensberg

Infield Instructor - Adam Everett
Field Coordinator - Paul Runge
Pitching Coordinator - Dyar Miller
Hitting Coordinator - Jeff Albert
Roving Pitching Instructor - Doug White
Strength & Conditioning - Brendan Verner
Medical Coordinator - Jamey Snodgrass
Rehab Coordinator - Daniel Roberts

OKLAHOMA CITY (AAA)
Manager - Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach - Steve Webber
Hitting Coach - Leon Roberts
Catching Coach - Jeff Murphy
Athletic Trainer - Mike Freer
Strength & Conditioning - Alex Pounds

CORPUS CHRISTI (AA)
Manager - Keith Bodie
Pitching Coach - Gary Ruby
Hitting Coach - Tim Garland
Infield Coach - Tom Lawless
Athletic Trainer - Bryan Baca
Strength & Conditioning - Trey Wiedman

LANCASTER (Advanced A)
Manager - Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach - Don Alexander
Hitting Coach - Darryl Robinson
Catching Coach - Mark Bailey
Athletic Trainer - Grant Hufford
Strength & Conditioning - Mark Spadavecchia

QUAD CITIES (A - Full Season)
Manager - Omar Lopez
Pitching Coach - Dave Borkowski
Hitting Coach - Joel Chimelis
Outfield/Baserunning Coach - Vince Coleman
Athletic Trainer - Michael Rendon
Strength & Conditioning - James McNichol

TRI-CITY (A - Short Season)
Manager - Ed Romero
Pitching Coach - Chris Holt
Hitting Coach - Russ Steinhorn
Athletic Trainer - Corey O’Brien

GREENEVILLE (Rookie)
Manager - Josh Bonifay
Pitching Coach - Josh Miller
Hitting Coach - Cesar Cedeno

GULF COAST LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Marty Malloy
Pitching Coach - Hector Mercado
Hitting Coach - Ramon Vasquez
Coach - Gordy MacKenzie
Athletic Trainer - Christian Bermudez
Strength & Conditioning - Julio Diaz Berrios

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Johan Maya
Pitching Coach - Rick Aponte
Hitting Coach - Luis Mateo
Outfield Instructor - Juan Zapata
Catching Instructor - Sixto Ortega
Athletic Trainer - Ambiorix Reyes
Strength & Conditioning - Geremias Guzman

2013 Minor League Staffs

The biggest change to the Astros minor league staffing for 2013 is the assignment of what the Astros are calling "development specialists" at each of the top four minor league levels. According to the press release, these individuals "will be with their assigned club on homestands, coaching pregame and scouting each contest. When their clubs go on road trips, the development specialists will scout their respective league or serve as a roving instructor in the Astros system on a case-by-case basis."

Mark Bailey, who will be assigned to Corpus Christi and has been designated a Catching Coach, and Tom Lawless, who will be assigned to Oklahoma City as an Infield Coach, have both spent time coaching in the Astros system. Most recently, Bailey was the Hitting Coach for Tri-City in 2012 and Lawless was a Roving Infield Instructor until he took over for Tony DeFrancesco as Manager for Oklahoma City when DeFrancesco became the Astros Interim Manager. As far as I can tell, this is the first coaching experience for Vince Coleman, who will be assigned to Quad Cities as the Outfield/Baserunning Coach. Coleman, of course, was an All-Star leftfielder who stole 100+ bases three times for the Cardinals in the 1980's. And last, but certainly not least, Morgan Ensberg will be another Infield Coach and he will be assigned to Lancaster. Ensberg was drafted by the Astros in 1998 and was an All-Star third baseman for the club in 2005, the same year that he earned the Silver Slugger award.

Another newcomer to coaching is Infield Instructor Adam Everett. According to the release, "He will work with both the Major League team as well as the organization’s minor league players and staff focusing on the development of infielders. He will be attending portions of Major and minor league spring training and will visit affiliates and the Major League club several times throughout the season." Everett played for Houston from 2001 to 2007 and was named the best fielding shortstop in MLB by the Fielding Bible in 2006.

I am excited about these additions to the Astros minor league staff. As many of us were painfully aware in 2012, the Astros didn't always exhibit the soundest of fundamentals. The addition of Everett and the other development specialists could go a long way towards ensuring that the players who make it to Houston have been given all of the help that they need to shore up those fundamentals.

Josh Bonifay, who served as Hitting Coach for the Lexington team in 2012, will get his first opportunity to manage with Greeneville in 2013 and Johan Maya, who spent the last two seasons as the infield coordinator for the DSL Astros will manage that team this year. Edgar Alfonzo, former Hitting Coach for the GCL Astros, will get his first assignment as Manager of the GCL team, but he has managed previously in the Mets organization.

The most noteworthy staff departures are Stubby Clapp, former Manager for Tri-City, who accepted a job in the Blue Jays organization and Oklahoma City Pitching Coach Burt Hooten who was non-renewed. In addition, Ivan de Jesus managed Lexington in 2012, but doesn't appear to be in the organization any longer.

I have made a few additional notes regarding changes to the positions of Manager, Pitching Coach and Hitting Coach below, but just a couple of words about the staffs first. I am particularly happy to see John Bonifay get the opportunity to manage the Greeneville team. As Hitting Coach for Lexington, he had a very good relationship with his players. He earned their respect and the respect of his peers as he was named to the Sally League All-Star coaching staff. I also heartily approve that Linares, Alexander and Robinson stayed in place for Lancaster. Not only did that trio coach a championship team together, they did so in the toughest home park in the Astros system. And finally, I like seeing Hector Mercado with the GCL. From everything that the players there told me, he is the ideal candidate to work with the younger pitchers.

COORDINATORS, ROVERS & MEDICAL STAFF
Field Coordinator - Paul Runge
Pitching Coordinator - Dyar Miller
Hitting Coordinator - Ralph Dickenson
Roving Pitching Instructor - Craig Bjornson
Roving Hitting Instructor - Jeff Albert
Strength & Conditioning - Brendan Verner
Medical Coordinator - Jamey Snodgrass
Rehab Coordinator - Daniel Roberts

OKLAHOMA CITY (AAA)
Manager - Tony DeFrancesco
Pitching Coach - Steve Webber (formerly with the San Diego system)
Hitting Coach - Leon Roberts
Infield Coach - Tom Lawless
Athletic Trainer - Mike Freer
Strength & Conditioning - Alex Pounds

CORPUS CHRISTI (AA)
Manager - Keith Bodie
Pitching Coach - Gary Ruby
Hitting Coach - Tim Garland (formerly with the Oakland system)
Catching Coach - Mark Bailey
Athletic Trainer - Bryan Baca
Strength & Conditioning - Trey Weidman

LANCASTER (HiA)
Manager - Rodney Linares
Pitching Coach - Don Alexander
Hitting Coach - Darryl Robinson
Infield Coach - Morgan Ensberg
Athletic Trainer - Grant Hufford

QUAD CITIES (LoA)
Manager - Omar Lopez (managed Greeneville in 2012)
Pitching Coach - Dave Borkowski (coached for LoA Lexington in 2012)
Hitting Coach - Joel Chimelis (coached for AA Corpus Christi in 2012)
Outfield/Baserunning Coach - Vince Coleman
Athletic Trainer - Steve Miller

TRI-CITY (SSA)
Manager - Ed Romero (managed the GCL Astros in 2012)
Pitching Coach - Doug White (formerly in the St. Louis system)
Hitting Coach - Russ Steinhorn (formerly coached at Delaware State)
Athletic Trainer - Michael Rendon

GREENEVILLE (Rookie)
Manager - Josh Bonifay (Hitting Coach for LoA Lexington in 2012)
Pitching Coach - Josh Miller (first year coach; played in Astros minor leagues)
Hitting Coach - Cesar Cedeno
Athletic Trainer - Corey O’Brien

GULF COAST LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Edgar Alfonzo (Hitting Coach for GCL in 2012)
Pitching Coach - Hector Mercado (coached for Greeneville in 2012)
Hitting Coach - Marty Malloy (first year coach)
Coach - Gordy MacKenzie
Athletic Trainer - Christian Bermudez

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE (Rookie)
Manager - Johan Maya (Infield Instructor for DSL in 2012)
Pitching Coach - Rick Aponte (coached Tri-City in 2012)
Hitting Coach - Luis Mateo
Outfield Instructor - Juan Zapata
Catching Instructor - Sixto Ortega
Athletic Trainer - Ambiorix Reyes
Strength & Conditioning - Geremias Guzman