Doug Brocail Back As Astros Pitching Coach

The Astros finally confirmed the last part of their staff, bringing back Doug Brocail as the pitching coach full-time. Brocail had been hired when Brad Arnsberg was fired from the position halfway through his second season with the team. Brocail had been a minor league pitching coordinator and special assistant to Ed Wade before being bumped up to the full-time gig.

The question is whether this was a good move. Brocail showed nothing in his tenure that distinguished himself, but neither did Arnsberg this season. Maybe all Brocail needed was a full season on the job to change what's going on, but we won't know for a while. As it stands, Houston finished with one of the highest ERAs in the majors and the second-highest walk rate.

There were some good signs to their effectiveness, as the Astros pitching staff had one of the better strikeout rates in the league and a middle-of-the-pack expected FIP. The problem, then, was with many of the pitchers being unlucky on the home run rate. Can Brocail fix that?

No, this just confirms how badly this organization needs a new start, a new direction. Brocail may be a nice placeholder, but he's not making a big impact on this staff. Few pitching coaches can do that and the Astros fired one of those to get Brocail.