The Houston Astros announced their minor-league coaching assignments Tuesday, revealing that the Quad Cities River Bandits will have four new coaches for the 2017 season.
The Quad Cities field staff will be manager Russ Steinhorn, pitching coach Drew French, hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, and developmental coach Jason Bell.
Steinhorn is entering his fifth season with the Astros organization, after managing in the Dominican Summer League last year and serving as hitting coach for the short-season Tri-City Dust Devils the previous three years. He also is a former college coach.
This will be French’s second season with the Astros. He served as Tri-City’s pitching coach last year, and also has experience coaching collegiately.
Rosenthal was most recently the hitting coach at Point Loma University in San Diego. The former catcher had a four-year professional playing career that included a brief stop in the Midwest League. He went 3-for-10 with two walks in three games with the 2004 Peoria Chiefs.
Bell joins the Astros organization after previously coaching at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Heartland Community College.