Trailblazer Goodrum joins Astros' FO; staff set

HOUSTON -- The Astros on Wednesday added a member to their Major League staff and announced several front office and baseball operations staff moves, including the hiring of Sara Goodrum, who will become one of the highest-ranking woman executives in baseball.

After serving as Minor League hitting coordinator for the Brewers last season, Goodrum was named Houston's director of player development. She will oversee all player development staff and collaborate with coordinators on the core duties of the recruiting, hiring and development of the player development staff. Her role will also include spearheading the formation and execution of coaching philosophies as well as the formation and execution of the player development goal process.

Before the Brewers tabbed her as Minor League hitting coordinator -- a promotion believed to make her the first woman in baseball history to fill that job -- she spent three seasons as the club's integrative sports performance coordinator.

Other moves the Astros announced include:

Major League coaching staff

Jason Kanzler, who spent the last three seasons coaching in the Astros’ Minor League system, including serving as a hitting coordinator in 2021, will join the Major League staff as a coach. The rest of Dusty Baker’s staff returns intact: Alex Cintron (hitting coach), Michael Collins (Major League coach), Joe Espada (bench coach), Dan Firova (quality assurance), Omar Lopez (first base), Josh Miller (pitching coach), Bill Murphy (pitching coach), Gary Pettis (third base) and Troy Snitker (hitting coach).

Front office

Andrew Ball has been hired as assistant general manager. Ball has spent the past five seasons as director of baseball operations for the Angels, assisting with Major League roster management, player contracts, player procurement, salary arbitration and amateur scouting. His focus in Houston will be with the Major League roster, including rules compliance, contract negotiations and roster composition.

Scott Powers joins the Astros after serving as the quantitative analysis director for the Dodgers for the past three seasons. In that role, Powers assisted in player evaluation, player development and in-game strategy. For the Astros, his primary focus will be on research and development, performance science and other departments.

Ball and Powers join Pete Putila, who returns in his third year as assistant GM. Putila’s duties will expand to player development, player evaluation and sports medicine and performance. He will also assist all areas of baseball operations.

Promotions

Charles Cook, who had served as director of player evaluation, has been promoted to senior director of player evaluation. Cook will oversee both amateur and international scouting.

Will Sharp has been promoted to special advisor to baseball operations. He had previously served as manager of Major League strategy. Sharp will provide insights and evaluation of players and methodologies across the baseball operations department.

Matt Hogan has been promoted to director of player personnel. He had previously served as pro scouting manager. Hogan will continue to guide the Astros' efforts in player evaluation and acquisition.

Jacob Buffa has been promoted to director of performance science. He had previously served as sport science analyst. Buffa will oversee biomechanics and sport science, which will include the recruiting, hiring and development of the Sport Science and Biomechanics staff.