Astros Name Brad Ausmus Manager, Bringing Franchise Icon Back to Houston
It is official: the former Astros catcher and Yankees bench coach replaces Joe Espada and will be introduced Friday at Daikin Park.
Update (Nov. 11, 12 p.m. ET): The Astros officially named Brad Ausmus their manager Wednesday, CBS Sports reported. He will be introduced Friday morning at Daikin Park alongside GM Randy Flores, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The Houston Astros are going back to a familiar face. Brad Ausmus, the Yankees’ bench coach and a former Astros catcher, is flying to Houston on Thursday in anticipation of being named the team’s next manager, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported Wednesday morning.
McTaggart’s report confirmed an earlier one from John Granato of ESPN 97.5 Houston, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman also reported the Astros are hiring Ausmus. The Astros made it official later Wednesday.
Source: Brad Ausmus is flying to Houston tomorrow in anticipation he will be named the next Astros manager, confirming @johngranato report.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) November 11, 2026
Brad Ausmus set to fill Houston’s biggest opening
The job has been open since Oct. 14, when the Astros announced Joe Espada would not return after three seasons, according to MLB.com. Espada won two American League West titles in that time.
The 2026 season was a strange one. Houston finished 81-81 and still won the division, then lost in the Wild Card Series to Will Venable’s Chicago White Sox, Yahoo Sports noted. Venable was just named AL Manager of the Year on Tuesday.
New general manager Randy Flores made hiring a manager his first priority after he was introduced last week. At the GM meetings in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Flores said he hoped to have a manager this week, and the Astros had talked with more than four candidates, the Houston Chronicle reported. Albert Pujols and Rays Triple-A manager Morgan Ensberg were also among the reported candidates.
A long history with the Astros
Ausmus spent 10 of his 18 big-league seasons in Houston. He won three Gold Gloves, made an All-Star team and caught for the 2005 Astros team that won the franchise’s first pennant.
He has tried to come home before. Ausmus was a finalist for the Astros’ manager job in 2020, which went to Dusty Baker, and he has also interviewed for the team’s GM job, according to MLB.com. Yankees GM Brian Cashman confirmed Tuesday that Ausmus was a candidate for both openings this offseason, ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported.
He also has a close friend in the building. Ausmus and Jeff Bagwell, now a senior advisor to Astros ownership and baseball operations, go back to their playing days together.
His record as a manager
Of the four publicly reported candidates, Ausmus is the only one who has been a full-time manager in the majors, the Chronicle noted.
| Team | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 2014-17 | Won 90 games and the AL Central in 2014 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 2019 | 72-90, let go after one season |
| New York Yankees | 2024-26 | Bench coach under Aaron Boone |
Across his two managing stops, Ausmus went a combined 386-422, per MLB.com.
That losing record will draw questions. The other side of it: Ausmus has spent the last three years next to Boone in a high-pressure clubhouse, and Flores wanted a manager in place quickly for a roster that still expects to contend.
What comes next for the Astros
Once the hire is official, Flores can turn to the rest of a busy offseason, with AL West rival Texas exploring a Corey Seager trade at the same GM meetings. Carlos Correa already gave the new GM his goal for 2027, telling Flores, “I want to win,” according to McTaggart.
Houston also has a big night coming. Slugger Yordan Alvarez is a finalist for AL MVP, which will be announced Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on MLB Network as MLB awards week wraps up.
For more coverage, see our MLB news page.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors, MLB.com, Houston Chronicle, ClutchPoints, Yahoo Sports, Brian McTaggart, Jon Heyman
