The Houston Astros continued to assemble their 2015 coaching staff on Tuesday as the club is expected to name former Kansas City Royals' manager Trey Hillman as their new bench coach.
Hillman, 51, served as a special assistant in the New York Yankees' organization this past year and specialized in scouting and player development. He managed the Kansas City Royals from 2008-2010, managing them to a 152-207 record before being fired by the organization 35 games into the 2010 regular season.
Hillman went on to serve as a bench coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers under manager Don Mattingly from 2011-2013. Hillman was let go by the Dodgers following the 2013 season.
A native of Amarillo, Texas, Hillman played college baseball at the University of Texas-Arlington. He played parts of three seasons in the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins organizations before becoming a scout in the Indians' organization in 1988. He batted .179/.311/.214 while driving in 29 RBI in 515 career plate appearances (162 games) in the Minor Leagues. He never made it past Double-A as a player.
Hillman also managed the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan to a 351-323 record from 2003-2007 before becoming manager of the Kansas City Royals.