Jeff Bagwell will join Astros this spring as guest instructor

Astros great Jeff Bagwell, who is the franchise leader in home runs, has accepted new manager A.J. Hinch's invitation to serve as a guest instructor in spring training, according to the Houston Chronicle. Bagwell officially accepted the invite when he spoke with president Reid Ryan on Tuesday.

"I've known Jeff a long time, and Jeff is the Houston Astros in so many ways," Ryan said. "It'd be a great opportunity for him to get to know some of our players and connect the present with the past. I think it will be a great opportunity."

Bagwell has had an estranged relationship with the Astros since leaving the team during the final days of Drayton McLane's ownership. Bagwell then remained away from the team during Jim Crane's ownership since he was unhappy with some of the firings. Bagwell started to change his stance once Ryan became president in 2013.

Bagwell spent his entire 15-year MLB career (1991-2005) with Houston. He hit .297 with a .408 on-base percentage, .540 slugging percentage, .948 OPS and 449 home runs in 2,150 games.

"Baggy is a big part of the franchise history," Hinch said. "To get him to camp to be around our coaches and our players, he's got a lot of wisdom. He's got a lot of baseball wisdom about him and I'm really happy he's coming to camp for a couple of days."