The Astros are parting ways with third base and outfield coach Gary Pettis after a decade, as reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Although Pettis hasn’t officially been dismissed, his contract expired at the end of the 2024 season and won’t be renewed for 2025.
Pettis, 66, had an 11-year playing career in the majors, mostly with the Angels. He also spent time with the Tigers, Rangers, and Padres. While not known for his offense, with a .236/.332/.310 batting line over 4,200 plate appearances, he was a prolific base stealer, amassing 354 steals, and earned five Gold Gloves in center field. His 354 steals currently tie him with Starling Marte for 106th in MLB history.
After concluding his playing career, Pettis took on coaching roles with the Angels, White Sox, Mets, and Rangers between 1995 and 2014. His ten-year tenure with the Astros has been the longest coaching stint of his career. During this time, he worked under three general managers (Jeff Luhnow, James Click, and Dana Brown) and three managers (A.J. Hinch, Dusty Baker, and Joe Espada). With his extensive experience, Pettis is likely to attract interest from other teams if he decides to continue coaching.
So far, parting ways with Pettis is the only change to Houston’s coaching staff. The team has not officially announced its coaching staff for the 2025 season yet, so additional changes could be revealed in the coming weeks.
The 2024 season marked Espada’s debut as manager after serving as the bench coach for six years—initially under Hinch and then Baker. Upon stepping into the managerial role in Houston, Espada kept Baker’s entire coaching staff intact. Omar Lopez, the first base coach, was promoted to bench coach, taking over Espada’s previous position. Meanwhile, Dave Clark, who had been managing in the Astros’ minor league system, joined the major league staff to fill Lopez’s role as the first base coach.
