Astros expected to hire Brad Ausmus as manager

Managerial hire expected

Brad Ausmus is expected to be named manager of the Houston Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported on Wednesday, confirming a report from ESPN's John Granato, according to Sportsnet. The New York Post also confirmed that Ausmus is leaving the Yankees staff to become the Astros' new manager.

Ausmus, 57, served as Yankees manager Aaron Boone's bench coach for the past three seasons. He previously managed the Detroit Tigers for four seasons (2014-2017) and the Los Angeles Angels for one (2019), holding a career record of 386-422.

Search process

Astros general manager Randy Flores said Tuesday at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas that he hoped to finalize the managerial decision by the end of the week. The four known candidates who interviewed were Brad Ausmus, Albert Pujols, Morgan Ensberg and Luis Urueta. Flores said owner Jim Crane, senior advisor Jeff Bagwell and assistant general managers Charles Cook and Gavin Dickey were involved in the interview process.

Ausmus originally interviewed for the general manager position before the manager role began to be discussed. The GM job went to Randy Flores.

Background

Ausmus is a New Haven, Conn. native who played for the Astros from 1997-1998 and 2001-2008. As a catcher, he won three Gold Gloves with the Astros and played 1,971 career games, batting .251/.325/.344 with 80 home runs. He helped lead Houston to the 2005 World Series.

The Astros did not renew the contract of manager Joe Espada following three seasons on the job, according to MLB.com. Sportsnet reported that Houston fired manager Joe Espada in October.

Why it matters

The hiring would give the Astros a new manager after a coaching search involving multiple candidates. It also creates a vacancy on the Yankees' coaching staff, as Ausmus departs from Aaron Boone's bench.

Sources

• sportsnet.ca: Report: Astros expected to hire Brad Ausmus as manager - Sportsnet.ca
• mlb.com: General manager Randy Flores discusses search for next Astros manager
• nypost.com: Brad Ausmus bolting Yankees to become Astros' new manager

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.