Astros Make First Change to Coaching Staff as More Dominoes Are Expected to Fall

The Houston Astros are making some changes.

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Things are starting to happen for the Houston Astros this offseason.

After it was revealed that both general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada would return for the 2026 campaign after missing the playoffs for the first time in almost a decade this year, some dominoes have started to fall when it comes to the configuration of Espada's coaching staff.

According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required), longtime hitting coach Alex Cintron will not be back with the Astros next season, as the team opted not to renew his contract after it expired at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign.

This comes after a disappointing season where Houston's offense performed drastically different compared to what they have done in the past, as their chase rate rose and their approach to draw long at-bats differed from previous years.

Alex Cintron Had Been Vital to Astros' Success

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While things weren't great in 2025, that shouldn't take away from what Cintron has accomplished during his time with the Astros. Hired initially as the club's Spanish-language interpreter, advance scout and assistant coach in 2017, he was then promoted to first base coach in 2018 before becoming the hitting coach alongside Troy Snitker starting in 2019.

During that time, Houston was an offensive juggernaut. They were consistently one of the leaders in runs scored and home runs hit to go along with one of the highest OPS marks. That powered them to their second World Series title in 2022.

But things changed for whatever reason the past two seasons, and that prompted Brown to have a meeting with Cintron and Snitker last winter about getting back to their previous offensive approach. Unfortunately, 2025 brought even more levels of ineptitude, and it cost them a spot in the playoffs.

More Changes Could Be Coming for Astros

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While it's clear that Cintron won't be back with the Astros in 2026, there was no word on whether or not Snitker would be retained in his role. However, it sounds like additional alterations are set to come this offseason, which could also feature Snitker being let go.

"More changes are expected within Espada’s 10-man coaching staff, sources told The Athletic on Thursday," added Rome.

With both Brown and Espada confirmed back for next year, it makes sense why there might be an overhaul for things in Houston. Despite the past success they've had, there are different players in place now, so getting the best out of this group is what the team needs to do.

Moving on from Cintron seems to be one of their first steps, but it will be interesting to see what other changes are made before the dust settles this winter.