The Astros may be lining up a familiar face for their next manager, and if Brad Ausmus gets the job, the ripple effect could reach all the way to the Yankees’ dugout.
Signs have pointed toward Ausmus as Houston’s preferred choice ever since the club moved toward hiring Randy Flores as its next general manager. Ausmus spent 10 years with the Astros during his 18-year playing career, so the fit would hardly be a surprise. It would also look, at least on the surface, like a very Astros kind of move.
But there’s another layer here. Ausmus has spent the past three seasons in New York working under Aaron Boone, and that stint has helped rebuild some of the shine around his managerial name. After a rough one-and-done run with the Angels in 2019, he spent 2022 as the Athletics’ bench coach before landing with the Yankees, where he served as Boone’s right-hand man in the dugout.
That background matters because Ausmus’ track record as a manager is not exactly spotless. His time with the Angels was forgettable, and his run leading the Tigers from 2014 through 2017 came as Detroit’s contention window under Jim Leyland was winding down.
Even with that history, a return to Houston would not be a clean, simple move. The Astros are in need of a reset, and while Flores might be the right person to steer that kind of shift, Ausmus’ managerial résumé does not scream “reset specialist.” His hire would also invite a familiar question about how much control Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell still have in the organization’s baseball decisions.
Still, there is a little mischief in the possibility for Astros fans to enjoy. Boone’s staff has already taken a hit this year, with Shelley Duncan now in Boston. If Ausmus leaves too, the Yankees would suddenly be scrambling to patch together their coaching staff.
And if Crane and the Astros’ decision-makers are looking for a little extra satisfaction, there may be some of that in play here too. There is no shortage of tension between Crane and the Yankees, so a reunion with Ausmus could serve two purposes at once: Houston gets a familiar manager, and New York is left with one more staffing headache with less than a month remaining before the MLB lockout.
In Other News...
Cam Smith Is Turning His Astros Rise Into Something Bigger
Cam Smiths rise in Houston has already been one of the more interesting stories on the roster, and now the young right fielder is using that momentum to build something off the field, too. Smith launched the Cam Smith Foundation with a focus on helping single mothers and their children, tying the effort to mentorship, community partnerships and direct aid while turning a baseball milestone into a broader community push.
The launch event drew several Astros teammates and included an auction of signed memorabilia to help raise funds, a sign that Smiths profile in Houston is growing well beyond his place in the lineup. Drafted by the Cubs in 2024 and then traded to the Astros, Smith made the Opening Day roster and has stayed in the mix as a regular since, and the foundation gives his early success a different kind of significance as he settles into life in Houston. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Manager Search Will Shape A Chaotic Offseason
Houstons search for its next manager is moving along quickly, and Randy Flores said the process has reached the point where a hire is expected soon. The Astros general manager has already spoken with multiple candidates and brought key team personnel into the conversation, a sign that the club is treating this as more than a simple replacement hire. With the offseason now underway, the manager decision is the first major step in what figures to be a busy stretch for a team trying to reset after a turbulent year.
Once that choice is made, the attention shifts to the rest of the baseball operation, starting with the coaching staff and then the roster itself. The timing matters because the Astros are heading into an offseason shaped by the looming expiration of the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement and the possibility of a lockout, which could compress the market and force clubs to make decisions faster than usual. For Houston, the next manager will not just inherit a dugout, but a front office preparing for a winter that could move in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Former Astros Pitcher Gets Another Shot Houston Couldn't Give Him
Ryan Weiss is getting another major league opportunity, this time with the Padres, after San Diego signed the right-hander to a one-year contract with a club option. Weiss spent time in the Astros organization before continuing his career in Asian leagues and eventually reaching the big leagues, and the new deal gives him a fresh path back into an MLB pitching staff.
For the Padres, Weiss fits as a depth arm with some flexibility. He could push for a rotation spot in camp, but he also profiles as a candidate to work in long relief if that is where the staff needs him most. For Houston, it is another reminder of a pitcher who kept moving until another club found a place to see what he can still become. [Read more 🡒]