Astros' Brocail a candidate for Rangers' pitching coach

HOUSTON -- Doug Brocail, the longtime Major League pitcher who spent last season as pitching coach at Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros' organization, has interviewed twice in the past week for the Rangers' vacant pitching-coach position.

Brocail told MLB.com on Tuesday that he met with Rangers officials on Thursday and Monday to discuss the job that became vacant when Mike Maddux was let go.

"It's a job that intrigues me," Brocail said. "It's a Major League coaching job. Yesterday, I'm still on the phone with [the Astros] making sure that we have an idea of what's going to happen with the Rule 5 [Draft], but it's nice to have the interview."

The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that Brocail had emerged as a leading candidate to replace Maddux. Brocail was the Astros' pitching coach from 2011-13 and served as special assistant to the general manager and senior pitching advisor in 2014. Last season was his first as Corpus Christi's pitching coach, where he tutored Lance McCullers Jr. before he was called up to the Majors.

Brocail said he had a good relationship with Rangers manager Jeff Banister, who like Brocail lived in the Houston area for years.

"I've watched Banny his whole career," Brocail said. "He was in Pittsburgh when I was still playing and coaching. We played against each other in the Minor Leagues, and he's a guy that seems to know what he's doing. I know the players up there love him, and he's always had the respect of everyone in the big leagues."

Brocail, 48, spent 15 years in the Major Leagues, mostly as a reliever. He pitched for the Rangers in 2004-05 and went 9-4 with a 4.94 ERA in 104 games. Brocail retired following the 2009 season with the Astros and has remained in their organization since.