The Houston Astros announced on December 9, 2025 they have agreed to sell their three full-season minor league clubs (the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys, Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks, and Single-A Fayetteville Woodpeckers) to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH). The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks pending standard league approvals.
Most importantly for fans: absolutely nothing changes on the field or in the stands.
The three teams remain full Houston Astros affiliates, keep their current names and identities, continue playing in their existing ballparks, and will be run day-to-day by the same local leadership teams that fans already know and trust (GM Tyler Stamm in Sugar Land, GM Brady Ballard in Corpus Christi, and GM Michelle Skinner in Fayetteville).
“Diamond Baseball Holdings is the perfect partner for the Astros. Not only do they have a successful track record of investing in communities and Minor League Baseball, they also are committed to a best-in-class local fan experience,” states Jim Crane, Owner and Chairman, Houston Astros. “On behalf of our entire organization, I want to personally thank every employee and fan within each of the clubs for helping make the Astros a championship franchise. We remain committed to these communities as our affiliate partners, and we look forward to continuing to grow the game of baseball together.”
Why There’s No Reason for Fans to Worry
This is not a player personnel move. Minor league clubs have never controlled the players on their rosters. That has always been 100% the domain of the parent MLB club. The Astros will continue to assign every prospect, coach, and instructor exactly as they always have. What the minor league teams do control (ticket sales, promotions, concessions, local sponsorships, and game-day entertainment) stays in local hands, with front-office staff simply becoming DBH employees instead of Astros employees.
DBH has built its reputation on investing heavily in those exact fan-experience areas, so Sugar Land, Corpus Christi, and Fayetteville supporters can reasonably expect the same or better level of creative promotions and community engagement they have enjoyed in recent years.
Spotlight on the Three Teams Joining Diamond Baseball Holdings
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Triple-A)
Since becoming the Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys have quickly become one of the most entertaining brands in Minor League Baseball. Playing at beautiful Constellation Field, the Space Cowboys feature a bold, space-themed identity, a beloved mascot (Orion), and one of the best game-day atmospheres in the minors. The 2024 season was historic: Sugar Land captured both the Pacific Coast League championship and the Triple-A National Championship, giving fans a true taste of winning baseball just minutes from downtown Houston.
Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A)
The Corpus Christi Hooks have been a Coastal Bend staple since opening Whataburger Field – one of the most scenic waterfront ballparks in America – in 2005. Over 20 seasons as an Astros affiliate, the Hooks have earned six Texas League postseason appearances and completed a highly successful 20th-anniversary rebrand in 2024 that deepened ties with the local community. Families continue to flock to the ballpark for affordable entertainment, fireworks, and the chance to watch future Astros stars up close.
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Single-A)
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers have established themselves as one of the Carolina League’s premier destinations since their 2017 debut (relocating from Buies Creek in 2019). Playing in downtown Fayetteville’s state-of-the-art Segra Stadium, the Woodpeckers are known for creative promotions, military appreciation nights, and strong community partnerships. Those efforts paid off in 2024 when Fayetteville cracked the top 10 in Single-A attendance, proving that innovative, fan-first baseball thrives in North Carolina’s military community.
“We’re excited to welcome these three outstanding Astros affiliates to the DBH family,” said Pat Battle and Peter Freund, Executive Chairman and CEO of DBH, respectively. “The Space Cowboys, Hooks and Woodpeckers embody what makes Minor League Baseball so special as each has cultivated deep community roots and a strong player development culture. Our goal is to work closely with the Astros organization to enhance the foundation that they have built, bringing additional investment, resources and a relentless focus on fans and players.”
What the Sale Means for the Astros Organization
By selling the affiliates, the Astros immediately shed a variety of operational costs they have carried in recent years: retail inventory and cost-of-goods for team stores, certain sponsorship conflicts, minor league facility upkeep, and administrative overhead. Player development (still centralized in Houston and West Palm Beach) is completely unaffected.
The move creates meaningful financial breathing room at a time when the club has made several other forward-looking business decisions:
- Launching the new SCHN+ direct-to-consumer streaming app alongside the Houston Rockets
- Securing a 15-year naming-rights partnership for Daikin Park (January 1, 2025 through the 2039 season)
- Extending the Daikin Park lease through 2050 (announced in 2018) and continuing major capital improvements in partnership with the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (center-field redesign, new social spaces, Gallagher Club, upgraded lighting and sound, ongoing seating replacement, etc.)
Housekeeping for the Future?
There are zero rumors, reports, or discussions about the Houston Astros franchise itself being for sale. However, the past 18 months of structural moves (new naming rights, RSN transition, and now the minor league sale) are precisely the type of housekeeping an owner does when preparing an asset for long-term family succession or, if ever desired, a seamless future sale. These steps give any ownership successor a cleaner balance sheet and maximum operating options from the moment they take over. Former Astros owner Drayton McLane made a similar behind-the-scenes move in the late 2000s before eventually selling the team to Jim Crane.
Could The Astros Enter Another Texas Market?
Possibly, but nothing is planned or imminent. Selling the minor league affiliates removes the Astros’ financial ties to Constellation Field and the other two ballparks, making a future affiliate shift easier if the club ever chooses to pursue one. With Houston’s fan base more saturated than at any point in franchise history (thanks to two World Series titles and a decade of contention), it could be a perfect time within the new few years to expand the Astros market into an area like San Antonio, where there are plans for new downtown Triple-A ballpark to open by 2028 and the city’s ongoing sports-infrastructure boom with addition of a new arena for the NBA San Antonio Spurs and an extensive renovation of the Alamodome to help the city attract additional major events like the 2025 Final Four. A healthy amount of fans in Houston would still likely make the I-10 drive to watch the future stars of the Astros while making new fans in the local market.
Again, all of this remains purely speculative at this stage, but the Astros have given themselves the flexibility to consider such moves into another Texas market if they eventually want to. The Texas Rangers already have their Triple-A affiliate with the Round Rock Express just north of Austin. Planting an Astros minor league flag in San Antonio could be a positive move to further grow a fan base, if MLB doesn’t place a team of its own there first. There has been some talk of a major league club eventually in San Antonio. Again, this is all hot stove talk at this point.
Bottom Line
The Astros farm system stays exactly the same. The championship pipeline that produced the 2017 and 2022 World Series winners remains intact. Local minor league front offices stay in place. And the big-league club just gained significant financial flexibility without sacrificing anything that happens between the lines.
Fans in Sugar Land, Corpus Christi, Fayetteville, and Houston can relax. Your Astros affiliates aren’t going anywhere, and the organization just positioned itself to keep competing at the highest level for many years to come.
