Astros lose notable coach to NL team

Not just Dusty Baker is giving up his place in the Houston Astros dugout.

This week, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic writes that Jason Kanzler, the assistant hitting coach for the Astros, is going to leave the team to take a new position as the Chicago Cubs’ director of player development. Kanzler was able to take over the position following the Cubs’ promotion of previous manager Jared Banner to assistant general manager.

Kanzler, 33, is a former Minnesota Twins draft pick who played three seasons in the minor leagues as an outfielder. He had spent the last five seasons as a hitting coach in the Astros organization, including the last two at the big-league level on Baker’s staff.

Sharma notes that Kanzler played an important role in Houston’s 2022 World Series title, particularly for his work with Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña in making crucial adjustments to his mechanics.

It’s still unclear how the Cubs managed to sign even one free agent to their major league roster this summer. They have added a well-known bench coach to Craig Counsell’s staff and hired a new manager from the Milwaukee Brewers, so at least they are staying busy with hiring. Kanzler, a rising star, is now included in the mix as well.

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