Astros Face Further Shakeup With Bill Murphy Leaving for NL Job

The Houston Astros will have another coach on the move this offseason as Bill Murphy is set to take a position in the National League.

Apr 26, 2024; Mexico City, Mexico; Houston Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy during MLB Mexico City Series workout at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have already started to put together an extremely interesting offseason, with their coaching staff undergoing major changes in the past few weeks.

With multiple coaches and staff members being moved on from, it is clear that, despite the manager and General Manager being retained, there were changes that the front office wanted to make.

Now, another name will be added to the list, as a long-time member of the Astros coaching staff is set to head to the National League, adding another hole that needs to be fixed prior to the 2026 season. That coach is Bill Murphy, a nine-year veteran of Houston who worked his way up through the ranks and has built a rather impressive pitching group.

Since 2021, Murphy has worked for the Major League roster with the Astros, and has helped to improve some of the young pitchers that have been thrown his way over the years. Now, he is set to help one of the best young arms in the MLB, with a new career opportunity presenting itself for him, as was first reported by Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required).

Where Will Coach Murphy Be Heading This Offseason?

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to the report presented by Chandler Rome, Murphy is set to head to the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason. This will pair him up with two-time All-Star and Cy Young Award candidate Paul Skenes, as well as some other promising young arms on the Pirates.

This will make for a good fit, as Murphy attempts to build up a staff around Skenes, with young names including Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, Seth Hernandez and Hunter Barco. Additionally, he has the opportunity to go into a free agency class, including one of his former starters, Framber Valdez, and potentially land him, pending Pittsburgh's willingness to open up and spend a bit more than usual.

Bill Murphy has a really good resume. From 2021-25, Houston pitchers have been worth 91.6 fWAR, third-most in MLB. Their ERA in that time is the second-lowest in MLB. Astros absolutely know pitching.

Excellent hire by the Pirates.

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) October 28, 2025

As for the Astros' side of things, they now have another coaching role to fill in a staff that was already quite barren at many positions. With only a little bit of time before the offseason kicks off, they are going to need to fill out the room quickly with available candidates who they feel can raise the ceiling of the squad.

Losing out on a premier coach like this is difficult, but ultimately, it gives Houston a chance to really build up from scratch, nearly. With the team looking to go in the direction of a younger roster, they can now rebuild a coaching group as well.

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