The 2017 World Series champion Astros announced three additions to their Major League coaching staff on Monday. They named Jeff Albert second hitting coach, Alex Cintron first-base coach and Doug White bullpen coach.
The trio of hires will take the places of Alonzo Powell, whom the Giants hired as their new hitting coach, Craig Bjornson, whom the Red Sox hired to be their new bullpen coach, and Rich Dauer, who is recovering from brain surgery and is planning to announce his retirement prior to the 2018 season.
Dauer, the Astros' first-base coach since 2015, spent more than 40 seasons in Major League baseball as a player, Minor League manager and Major League coach.
"We are thankful to Richie for his contributions to our ballclub," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I was fortunate to have Richie as a coach when I played and to have him as part of my staff. He has had a long and successful career in baseball, and we wish he and his wife, Chris, nothing but the best."
Albert, 37, was the Astros' Minor League hitting coordinator in 2017 for the fourth consecutive year. After spending five seasons with the Cardinals as their Minor League hitting coach from '08-12, Albert joined Houston as a roving hitting instructor before being named hitting coordinator.
Cintron had been the Astros' Spanish translator, advance scout and assistant coach. The 38-year-old spent much of the past season on Houston's bench as an active coach, and he played nine seasons in the Major Leagues as an infielder with the D-backs, White Sox, Orioles and Nationals.
White served as the Astros' Minor League pitching coordinator for the past two seasons. He was a Minor League pitching coach in the Cardinals' system for five seasons prior to joining Houston's organization in 2013. The 40-year-old was a Minor League pitching coach for one season before serving as a roving pitching instructor for two seasons during his first three years in the system.