Astros change up 2016 minor league coaching staffs

With the 2016 season fast approaching the Houston Astros and general manager Jeff Luhnow have announced changes to Houston's minor league coaching staffs.

One of the biggest moves was former Astros relief pitcher Dave Borkowski moved up from Single A Quad Cities to be named Double A Corpus Christi pitching coach.

Borkowski spent three seasons with the Astros (2006-08), posting a 8-7 record with 5.44 ERA in 178 2/3 innings -- proving once again some of the best coaches experience adversity in their playing career.

Ramon Vazquez was tapped as Class A Lancaster manager, Omar Lopez was named Class A Quad Cities manager, Josh Bonifay as Rookie Level Greeneville, and Russ Steinhorn as Dominican Summer League manager.

Vazquez spent two season as a developmental specialist in Lancaster and this is first managerial position in his career. Lopez took Lancaster to the playoffs the past four season.

In secondary positions, Chris Holt (not that Chris Holt) was named pitching coach at Quad Cities, Wladimir Sutil was named coach/Latin infield instructor for the Gulf Coast team. Among new hires to the Astros system, Drew French is the new pitching coach at Tri-City, Dillon Lawson hitting coach at Tri-City, Bill Murphy pitching coach at Greeneville, Aaron DelGiudice development coach at Triple A Fresno and Lancaster, and Tommy Kawamura development coach at Corpus Christi and Quad Cities.

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Here is the 2016 Astros Minor League coaching staff:

2016 MINOR LEAGUE STAFF

COORDINATORS & ROVERS

Field Coordinator Paul Runge

Hitting Coordinator Jeff Albert

Pitching Coordinator Doug White

Catching Coordinator Mark Bailey

Infield Coordinator Adam Everett

Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Brendan Verner

Medical Coordinator Scott Barringer

Roving Outfield Instructor Leon Roberts

Mindset Coach Morgan Ensberg

Complex Pitching Coordinator Josh Miller

Development Coach (FRE/LAN) Aaron DelGiudice

Development Coach (CC/QC) Tommy Kawamura

TRIPLE A FRESNO

Manager Tony DeFrancesco

Pitching Coach Dyar Miller

Hitting Coach Ralph Dickenson

Athletic Trainer Bryan Baca

Strength & Conditioning Trey Wiedman

DOUBLE A CORPUS CHRISTI

Manager Rodney Linares

Pitching Coach Dave Borkowski

Hitting Coach Dan Radison

Athletic Trainer Grant Hufford

Strength & Conditioning Taylor Rhoades

CLASS A ADVANCED LANCASTER

Manager Ramon Vazquez

Pitching Coach Michael Burns

Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson

Athletic Trainer Michael Rendon

Strength & Conditioning Dwayne Peterson

CLASS A QUAD CITIES

Manager Omar Lopez

Pitching Coach Chris Holt

Hitting Coach Joel Chimelis

Coach Wladimir Sutil

Athletic Trainer Corey O’Brien

Strength & Conditioning Joe Bossard

CLASS A SHORT SEASON TRI-CITY

Manager Lamarr Rogers

Pitching Coach Drew French

Hitting Coach Dillon Lawson

Athletic Trainer John Gregorich

Strength & Conditioning Mark Spadavecchia

ROOKIE LEVEL GREENEVILLE

Manager Josh Bonifay

Pitching Coach Bill Murphy

Hitting Coach Cesar Cedeno

Athletic Trainer Elliot Diehl

Strength & Conditioning Julio Diaz

ROOKIE LEVEL GULF COAST LEAGUE

Manager Marty Malloy

Pitching Coach Erick Abreu

Hitting Coach Luis Mateo

Coach/Latin Infield Instructor Wladimir Sutil

Athletic Trainer Ben Myers

Strength & Conditioning Rachel Balkovec