HOUSTON, TX — Triple A Fresno manager Tony DeFrancesco will not return for the 2018 season, Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow announced today. The Astros are supporting DeFrancesco’s efforts to seek new opportunities in baseball.

DeFrancesco spent the last seven seasons managing the Astros Triple A affiliate, beginning with four seasons with Oklahoma City (2011-14) and then the last three with Fresno (2015-17). In 2015, he was named Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year after leading the Grizzlies to the Pacific Coast League championship and the Triple A National Championship. DeFrancesco also served as interim manager for the Astros Major League club for the final 41 games of the 2012 season.

“We are very thankful to Tony for his contributions to the Astros organization,” Luhnow said. “He has had a long, successful career as a manager and played a key role in the efforts to rebuild our minor league system over the past few years. We wish him the very best in the future.”

“Thank you to Jeff and the entire Astros organization for the opportunities they have provided over the past seven years,” DeFrancesco said. “ It is great to see the success of the organization over this time and I appreciate being part of that journey. I wish them continued success moving forward.”

The 2017 season marked DeFrancesco’s 23rd as a minor league manager and his 34th in professional baseball as a player, coach or manager. In his 14 seasons as a manager in the Pacific Coast League, DeFrancesco’s clubs have won eight division titles, four PCL titles and two Triple A national championships. In April of 2017 with Fresno, he reached his 1,000th career victory managing in the PCL.