The Houston Astros are targeting Victor Rodriguez, the San Diego Padres’ hitting coach, for one of their open hitting coach positions, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed Wednesday.
No deal had been finalized as of Wednesday afternoon, but the Astros were working toward hiring Rodriguez, a person with knowledge said. MLB.com was the first to report Houston’s interest in Rodriguez, who just finished his second season on San Diego’s coaching staff.
Houston opted not to bring back co-hitting coaches Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker after the season. The Astros plan to fill both vacancies and keep two hitting coaches on the major-league staff.
Rodriguez, 64, held assistant hitting coach roles with the Boston Red Sox (2013-17) and Cleveland Guardians (2018-2023) before becoming the Padres’ hitting coach. He also held multiple other roles in the Boston organization including as a minor-league coordinator before joining its major-league staff.
He played 19 professional seasons as an infielder, mostly in the minors, with 17 major-league games for the Orioles and Twins.
The Astros’ hitting coach turnover follows a 2025 season in which they ranked 21st in the majors in runs scored. Injuries played a role in the offense’s inconsistency, but the club’s offensive approach also drew some scrutiny.
Houston’s hitters posted the second-highest chase rate and the third-highest swing rate in the majors in 2025. Though general manager Dana Brown said he met with the hitting coaches last offseason to state a goal to, in part, see more pitches, the Astros saw the third-fewest pitches per plate appearance in 2025.
The Padres were not a drastically more patient offense the past two seasons. But their swing and chase rates and average pitches per plate appearance were comparable to league averages in that span.
Personnel played a role in the tendencies of both lineups and falls outside of hitting coaches’ control. The Padres led the majors in batting average and had the lowest strikeout rate across the past two seasons; the Astros ranked fourth in both categories in that span.
The Padres are seeking a new manager to replace Mike Shildt, who stepped away after the season. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday that Rodriguez had one year left on his contract and the Padres granted the Astros permission to talk to him.
Leave a Reply