One previously unreported addition is the tabbing of Tommy Kawamura as game planning coach (h/t to Mark Berman of Fox 26). Formerly a member of the team’s advance scouting department in the front office, Kawamura makes the jump to the dugout. It’s a newly-created position for the Astros that’ll presumably increase Baker’s ability to match up with the opposition.

The rest of the staff returns, most in their previous roles. Joe Espada is back for a sixth season as bench coach. Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker return as co-hitting coaches; Jason Kanzler will be their assistant hitting coach, his second season on staff. Bill Murphy and Josh Miller will split pitching coach duties for the second straight year. Gary Pettis and Omar López will serve as base coaches, with Dan Firova and Michael Collins also remaining on staff.

There’s a strong amount of continuity with the group, as they return in hopes of backing up their championship. Houston made some key front office changes at the start of the offseason, but the non-playing field staff is back completely intact with the addition of Kawamura.

The multi-year deal for Cintrón could be tied to some interest from a competitor. Rome writes the 43-year-old interviewed with the Blue Jays in their search for a bench coach to work alongside skipper John Schneider. His new deal with Houston forecloses the possibility of him heading north of the border. The Cintrón/Snitker pairing has worked together since the start of the 2019 season, guiding an extremely talented lineup to excellent results. Houston trails only the Dodgers in runs scored over the last four years. They were eighth in runs this past season, and they placed seventh in on-base percentage (.319) and fifth in slugging (.424).

Rome also reports the Astros have agreed to a new deal with pitching coach Josh Miller. He’ll be back for a second season. Miller was promoted to co-pitching coach alongside Bill Murphy after the departure of Brent Strom last offseason. The duo inherited an excellent pitching infrastructure and plenty of talent, but they also seem to have taken on their greater responsibilities very well. Only the Dodgers allowed fewer runs this year, while the Mets were the sole team to beat Astros pitchers’ 26% strikeout rate. The contract status of Murphy hasn’t yet been reported.

Other than Murphy, most of the key members of the coaching staff are slated to return on the heels of the World Series win. Dusty Baker will get a fourth season at the helm, and he’ll be joined by his co-hitting coaches and at least one of this past season’s pitching coaches. Bench coach Joe Espada and first base Omar López were previously reported to be back themselves.

1:52pm: Laureano has actually received a six-game suspension, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (via Twitter).

1:41pm: Major League Baseball will announce that Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron and Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano have been suspended for their roles in this week’s brawl between the two teams. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that Cintron will receive a 20-game suspension, while Laureano will be suspended for five games (Twitter links). The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, meanwhile, tweets that Laureano’s penalty is still being finalized, so the five-game sum may not yet be set in stone. A formal announcement has not been made but figures to follow shortly.

Cintron’s punishment is the largest ever given to a coach. The former big leaguer was seen clearly goading Laureano from the dugout after Laureano took first base following the second time he’d been hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game. Laureano had some choice words for Houston pitcher Humberto Castellanos as he walked to first base but did not initially take any action toward the Astros. Cintron, however, persisted with verbal barbs and took a step toward Laureano, seemingly daring him to engage in an altercation. Laureano eventually lost his cool and gave in to Cintron’s prodding.

The result, of course, was the exact type of situation that Major League Baseball has sought to avoid in the midst of this pandemic-interrupted season: an on-field brawl in which members of both clubs were in direct physical contact — many without a mask or face covering. Houston catcher Dustin Garneau, a former teammate of Laureano in Oakland, quickly tackled him to the ground and said he did so in an effort to diffuse the situation. Other members of both organizations soon pulled the involved parties apart and managed to quell the fracas, but suspensions for Cintron and Laureano, the brawl’s two central figures, have been widely anticipated since the incident.

For the A’s, the loss of Laureano for nearly a week is significant over the course of a shortened season. The former Astros farmhand was acquired at minimal cost following the 2017 season, but he’s blossomed as a star since debuting in Oakland in 2017. A standout defender with a rocket arm, Laureano has also proven a legitimate threat on the bases and at the plate. In 731 career plate appearances, he’s a .286/.351/.507 hitter with 32 home runs and 21 steals. He’s quite arguably out to the best start of his career in 2020, slashing .263/.405/.491 in 74 plate appearances.

Laureano can still appeal the punishment and push for a reduced suspension, which seems likely to be the case. Assuming he’s still suspended at some point, the A’s can turn to Mark Canha again in center field or recall any of Skye Bolt, Luis Barrera or Dustin Fowler from their alternate site.

• Count the San Diego Padres among those teams more focused on shedding contracts than adding them. GM A.J. Preller’s top priority right now is finding a taker for Wil Myers, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark. Myers is due $22.5MM per season for the next three with a $20MM team option for 2023 that comes with a $1MM buyout. That’s a steep payout for a 29-year-old corner outfielder/first baseman who put up just 96 wRC+ last season. The Padres are also looking to move catcher Austin Hedges, who is set to make roughly $2.9MM this year and has two more arbitration seasons remaining. For the second straight offseason, they continue to talk with the Indians about Corey Kluber, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, though a deal on that front before Spring Training is unlikely. They remain curious about Dallas Keuchel and Madison Bumgarner as well, but a deal for any top pitcher seems unlikely unless they find a taker for Myers – which in and of itself presents Preller with a sizable challenge.
• Charlie Culberson had a couple of major league offers, but none significant enough to outweigh the appeal of returning to Atlanta, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The fanbase in Atlanta is quite fond of Culberson, a dirtdog and Atlanta native who plays all over the diamond for manager Brian Snitker. The minor league deal enables the Braves to utilize Culberson’s 40-man roster spot, while incentives in the deal give Culberson similar earning potential to what he’d seen in other offers. Outside of occasional pop, Culberson doesn’t offer a ton with the bat, but he’s a decent baserunner and plays everywhere on the diamond except catcher and centerfield. If nothing else, seeing Culberson return in a Braves uniform would be a heartwarming moment for fans after a brutal injury ended Culberson’s 2019. On a failed bunt attempt at Nats Park, Culberson took a Fernando Rodney fastball to the face that led to a fractured cheekbone. 

Cintron, 40 next month, is entering his third season as a coach at the Major League level — each of which has come with the Astros. A veteran of nine Major League seasons as a player, he’s previously worked as the team’s first base coach and as a Spanish translator/advance scout/assistant coach on A.J. Hinch’s 2016 staff. He’ll pair with Snitker to comprise a duo of hitting coaches. Snitker, somewhat remarkably, is just 29 years of age and is moving up from Double-A Corpus Christi, where he served as the Hooks’ hitting coach.

Kelly, too, should be a familiar name for baseball fans, having spent nine seasons in the Majors himself. From 2007-16, the now 38-year-old Kelly played every position on the diamond (including pitcher) while serving as a super-utility player — primarily for the Tigers. His playing career ended quite recently, but he’s already spent two seasons on the Tigers’ pro scouting staff prior to taking this role — his first as a coach.

The 39-year-old Miller was Houston’s minor league pitching coordinator in 2018 — his third season in that role. He’s also worked as a scout for the club and as a minor league pitching coach.

Houston’s coaching staff took a hit this offseason, as three of their coaches took a promotion to join a new organization. Former assistant hitting coach Jeff Albert was hired by the Cardinals as their hitting coach, while bullpen coach Doug White was hired as the new pitching coach for the division-rival Angels. Hitting coach Dave Hudgens, meanwhile, was hired by the Blue Jays as the bench coach under newly minted manager Charlie Montoyo.

Here’s more from the AL West’s Texas contingent:

• Astros righty Collin McHugh is slated for a checkup after experiencing elbow and biceps tightness in his Triple-A rehab outing yesterday, as Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports. The medical evaluation will obviously dictate how things progress, but as Kaplan writes, Houston must now consider the possibility that McHugh won’t be back for a few more weeks. He had been expected to return to the majors in the next few days, but was only able to work one inning before he was pulled.
• Things seemingly went better for Rangers righty Tyson Ross, who worked three innings in extended spring action, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. Next up for Ross is a four-inning outing on April 12th. Obviously, it seems he’ll keep building up while working on a five-day schedule; given the progress thus far, perhaps he’ll be prepared to join the MLB roster in relatively short order. If and when he does, Ross will be throwing his first big league pitches since Opening Day of 2016.
• The Rangers’ decision to trade lefty Andrew Faulkner yesterday came about after he fell well shy of expectations this spring, as Grant explains. Faulkner, 24, seemed set to compete for a pen job in camp, but never ironed out his mechanics. As Grant details, he lost his feel for the zone so much that he was not even appearing in minor-league games after departing major league camp. The Orioles evidently see some hope still, so for now he’ll take a 40-man spot in Baltimore. Meanwhile, Grant explains, Texas appears likely to utilize the roster spot that was cleared to add another reserve infielder or reliever.

• The Mets re-signed outfielder Dustin Martin, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. The Mets drafted Martin in 2006 but traded him to Minnesota. He has a .276/.347/.417 line in seven minor league seasons, the last three of which he played at Triple-A Rochester.
• The Orioles' Triple-A affiliate announced that the organization released left-hander Chris George (Twitter link). George, a first rounder back in 1998, has started for Norfolk for the past two-plus seasons.
• Infielder Alex Cintron, who last played in the Major Leagues with the 2009 Nationals, signed with an independent league team, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. Cintron, 33, has played in nine big league seasons.
• The Angels signed minor league catcher John Hester and assigned him to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. The Orioles released Hester last week to create roster space for Luis Exposito. Hester, 28, has big league experience with the Diamondbacks and a .285/.345/.471 batting line in seven minor league seasons.

• The Dodgers released Justin Miller, who had been pitching at Triple-A. The 33-year-old posted a 5.73 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 9.0 BB/9 in 22 Triple-A innings for the Dodgers, Rangers and Marlins this year. He was useful for the Dodgers in 2010, throwing 24 1/3 innings in the big leagues.
• The Padres released Alex Cintron in what appears to be a procedural move. The infielder retired in May, then decided to un-retire earlier this month. He last appeared in the Major Leagues in 2009.

• Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker previews the NPB players who may be available to Major League teams after the season, including starter Hisashi Iwakuma and former big leaguer Matt Murton.
• The Hiroshima Carp signed Brian Barton, according to a report on Sanspo. The 30-year-old infielder has experience with three MLB teams and last played in the big leagues for last year's Marlins team.
• The agent for Alex Cintron told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that his client is looking to un-retire and play in the Major Leagues again (Twitter link).
• Twins assistant GM Rob Antony said on 1500 ESPN's "Sunday Morning SportsTalk" show that Minnesota would like to add a middle reliever and may go outside of the organization for help. Tom Pelissero has the details on the Twins, who started the day just five games out of first place.
• White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen told Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.com that he and GM Kenny Williams want to re-sign Mark Buehrle after the season, when the left-hander is eligible for free agency. The White Sox have not discussed years or money with Buehrle, who has hinted at retirement in the past. Buehrle allowed two earned runs in seven innings as the White Sox beat the Royals tonight.

Cintron, 32, finishes with a .275/.313/.394 line in 2,217 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Orioles, and Nationals.  He played shortstop, second base, and third base.  Cintron's best season was with the 2003 D'Backs, when he hit .317/.359/.489 with 13 home runs.  The Puerto Rico native earned over $4MM in his big league career, according to Baseball Reference.     

• The Yankees have signed left-hander Brad Halsey to a minor league contract, according to the AP (via the Washington Post). Halsey began his MLB career with the Yankees, who drafted him in 2002, but he hasn't appeared in a big league game since 2006. The 30-year-old has a 4.84 ERA with 5.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 286 1/3 career innings for the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Athletics.
• The Padres signed Alex Cintron to a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Cintron, 32, last appeared in the big leagues as a member of the 2009 Nationals. The nine-year veteran has a .275/.313/.394 line and experience at every infield position. He played for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate last year.

Cintron, 32, last appeared in the Major Leagues with Washington in 2009. The utility infielder spent last season in the Mets organization, playing in 20 games with Triple-A Buffalo.

The Nationals plan to give rookie Danny Espinosa a shot at the second-base job this season, but he is inexperienced and coming off hand surgery, so Cintron was presumably added for the sake of organizational depth in the event Espinosa is not ready to go by Opening Day.

Cintron broke into the big leagues with the Diamondbacks in 2001 and remained with Arizona through 2005. He's bounced around since then, spending time in a handful of organizations.

• The Reds signed Aaron Harang's brother Daryl out of the Atlantic League.
• The Rockies signed lefty Nick Bierbrodt, the Diamondbacks' first-ever draft pick in '96.  Bierbrodt, 31, sat out the '09 season.
• The Twins signed outfielder Charlton Jimerson out of the Atlantic League.  He put up big numbers there in '09.
• The Mets inked second baseman Alex Cintron, who hit .285/.303/.387 in Triple A last year.

Cintron was designated for assignment on May 20 by the Nationals after going 2-for-26 to start the season.  He'll try to work his way up to the big leagues once again.  The 30-year-old has a .275/.313/.394 career batting line.