Astros' new hires signal a return to innovation while Mariners take their sweet time

The Seattle Mariners want to reset their culture this winter, and they're not rushing the process. They still need to hire a new manager. They'll then need to hire several new coaches, including a new primary hitting coach.

Meanwhile, the Houston Astros are aggressively going back to their roots.

Just in the last week, the reigning AL West champions have hired Spencer Medick as their new director of pitching and Conner Watson as their new director of hitting. Medick was hired from the New York Yankees, while Watson had been with the Cleveland Guardians. They have a shared origin story, the likes of which is becoming more common with these kinds of hires; each got his start with Driveline Baseball.

For anyone who's unfamiliar with Driveline, it's an organization with locations in Washington, Florida and Arizona that specializes in data-driven performance enhancements. A decade ago, it was an oddity. Today, it's basically a university for would-be major league coaches and front office types.

With their reputation in decline, the Astros are making a play to be innovative again

The gravity of Watson's departure from Cleveland isn't going overlooked by our friends at Away Back Gone. As for Medick, one Astros source was overjoyed in speaking to FanSided's Pat Ragazzo: "(We're) excited to have him. Coming from (a) strong pitching program in New York, (he has a) strong ability to integrate technology into coaching principles. Experienced working with variety of coaching backgrounds. Should be a great add."

Making these hires before adding a general manager and a manager is an interesting play by Astros owner Jim Crane, but you can read between the lines and see the sense in it.

There was a hot minute when the Astros were practically synonymous with innovation. That hasn't felt as true recently, and perhaps least of all in 2026. Though the Astros won the AL West, that they did so with an 81-81 record only fueled the perception that they're a has-been dynasty in need of refreshing. They'll need to tinker with their roster, but they must also optimize what they already have.

It'll be up to Medick and Watson to set the philosophy and establish infrastructure for the organization's pitchers and hitters, respectively. They're about to work with a farm system that needs, well, work. But the Astros do have some underperforming young guys who could benefit from a new script, including AJ Blubaugh, Mike Burrows and Spencer Arrighetti on the pitching side and Cam Smith and Brice Matthews on the hitting side.

Meanwhile, Mariners fans await literally any progress toward a fresh identity

Meanwhile in Seattle, there's still a big hole where Dan Wilson used to be, as well a handful of smaller holes where Manny Acta, Kevin Seitzer, Perry Hill and Eric Young Jr. used to be. The manager's chair needs to be filled first, and that's where the vibes are getting a little uneasy.

Hey, at least the Mariners have a leg up on the Astros in that they didn't need to go find a new director of hitting or a new director of pitching. They have Edgar Martinez and Trent Blank in those roles, and their credentials (especially Martinez's, obviously) aren't exactly lacking.

And yet, there is a lingering sense that the Mariners' approaches to hitting and pitching got stale this year. And since the managerial hiring process is predicated on finding someone who could bring in fresh ideas, you'd think they don't want Martinez or Blank getting too ahead of themselves with course corrections. Charting the best way out of the disappointment of 2026 will need to be a collaborative process, rather than one where the new manager is basically given marching orders.

Whether the way the Astros are moving forward ultimately works better, only time will tell. But at least they're doing something, and that much is easier to appreciate under the particular circumstances of this offseason.

There's a lockout coming on December 1, and it's going to shut down communications between players and team personnel for as long as it lasts. The more a team can get done before then, the better. And right now, the Astros are moving faster than the Mariners.

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