Current Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus will interview for the Houston Astros’ open managerial position, Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote in a tweet this morning, but Astros Beat Reporter Brian McTaggart first reported it, saying Ausmus was in Houston this past Thursday.
Ausmus was hired by the Yankees as manager Aaron Boone’s bench coach on November 21st, 2023, after the Yankees’ original bench coach, Carlos Mendoza, was hired as the new manager of the New York Mets.
Ausmus has managed in the big leagues before. The former big-league catcher, who played 18 seasons from 1993-2010, most recently managed the Los Angeles Angels in 2019.
Ausmus Managerial History In Detroit and Anaheim
Ausmus has a lifetime managerial record of 314-332. Ausmus managed the Tigers for four seasons (2014-17) and made the playoffs once, in 2014, when the Tigers went 90-72 but were swept in the American League Division Series by the Baltimore Orioles.
Ausmus’s most recent managerial stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019 was disastrous: the team finished 72-90 and 4th in the American League West with a .444 winning percentage.
The Astros are searching for a new manager after parting ways with previous manager Joe Espada at the end of the 2026 season. Espada’s contract expired at the end of this year, and the Astros chose not to renew it. The 2026 Houston Astros had their share of highs and lows. They played .500 baseball and finished the season 81-81, made the playoffs, but were swept in the American League Wild Card by the Chicago White Sox in a best-of-three series at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. Ironically enough, Espada was the Yankees third base coach from 2015-18 with former Yankees manager Joe Girardi.
Astros Have Lots Of Questions To Address In 2027
The Astros were the first team in major league history to make the postseason with a .500 or worse regular-season record. The Astros just hired a new general manager, Randy Flores, who previously worked in the St. Louis Cardinals’ front office in various roles, moving from director of scouting to assistant GM from 2019 to 2025. Flores comes from a baseball background, having pitched eight years in the big leagues from 2002 to 2010. Flores is replacing former Astros GM Dana Brown.
The Astros still have a lot of questions to answer this offseason and heading into 2027 and beyond. With pitching as its biggest weakness in 2026, an aging core of franchise players, and still searching for a manager, the team needs to decide what direction it wants to take with these critical decisions.
As for the Yankees, they might need to search for a new bench coach if Ausmus lands the position in Houston, or any other managerial openings he could possibly be interviewing for as well. As we head into the full swing of the offseason with free agency officially open and qualifying offer decisions due today by 5:00 PM Eastern Time, this will be something to monitor in the weeks and months ahead before the CBA deadline on December 1st at 11:59 PM E.T.
Astros Interviewing Yankees’ Bench Coach In Managerial Search