Astros announce Minor League coordinators, staff
Houston's three Minor League coordinators will be Paul Runge (field coordinator), Dyar Miller (pitching coordinator) and Ralph Dickenson (hitting coordinator). As for the two rovers, Craig Bjornson will serve as the roving pitching instructor after spending last season as the Astros' bullpen coach, and Jeff Albert, who spent the last five years as a hitting coach in the Cardinals' system, will be the club's roving hitting instructor.
Next season will mark Runge's third consecutive year at his current field coordinator position after spending the first 14 seasons of his coaching career as a manager in Atlanta's farm system. Miller and Dickenson, however, will join Houston's coaching staff after spending last season with the Cardinals and Blue Jays, respectively.
Miller served as the Cardinals' bullpen coach in 2012 after spending four years as St. Louis' Minor League pitching coordinator. Dickenson, meanwhile, has spent the last three seasons as a hitting coach in Toronto's Minor League system and will be entering his 36th season of coaching at the professional or collegiate level.
As for the medical staff, Brendan Verner will assume the role of Minor League strength and conditioning coordinator after spending the last two seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator in San Diego's Minor League system.
Jamey Snodgrass (medical coordinator) and Daniel Roberts (rehab coordinator), who are each returning for the third consecutive season at their respective positions, round out next season's medical staff.