The Astros are moving quickly to sort out their dugout after the front office shakeup, and one familiar face is already in the mix.
With Randy Flores set to take over as general manager and the General Managers Meetings approaching next week in Las Vegas, Houston is expected to press ahead on its search for a new manager. Joe Espada’s contract was not renewed after three seasons, and the club now has a vacancy to fill. Flores will be introduced Monday at Daikin Park.
One name that keeps surfacing is Brad Ausmus. Multiple sources said Sunday that the former Astros catcher was in the offices at Daikin Park on Thursday, the day before Flores was hired after eight seasons as assistant GM in St.
Louis. Another source said late Sunday that Ausmus was interviewing in Houston for the GM position Thursday, but there is still a chance the Astros could take another look at him for the managerial opening.
Ausmus has history with this job. He interviewed for the Astros’ manager opening in 2020 before Dusty Baker got the job, and he was also a finalist for the GM position before Dana Brown was hired ahead of the 2023 season. He spent the last three seasons as the Yankees’ bench coach.
As a manager, Ausmus has already been through two stops in the majors. He led the Tigers from 2014-17 and the Angels in 2019, finishing with a 386-422 record.
His connection to Houston runs deep. Ausmus caught more games than any other catcher in Astros history over 10 seasons with the club, a stretch that included division titles in the NL Central in 1997-98, trips to the NLCS in 2004 and the World Series in 2005.
He hit .246 with 41 homers and 386 RBIs in Houston, but his reputation was built on defense. He won three Gold Gloves with the Astros and handled a star-laden staff in 2004 and 2005 that included Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt.
Flores’ ties to St. Louis could also shape the search. He pitched five years for the Cardinals and won a World Series there in 2006, and that background could lead him to consider a couple of former teammates who have made clear they want to manage in the big leagues.
Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina are both candidates to watch. Molina has managed Puerto Rico in the last two World Baseball Classics and has also built experience leading successful clubs in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League.
He was recently hired by Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom as a special assistant. Pujols managed the Dominican Republic in this year’s WBC and, after the 2025 season, led Leones del Escogido to Dominican Professional Baseball League and Caribbean Series titles.
Pujols, 46, retired after the 2022 season with 703 homers, 686 doubles and 2,218 RBIs across a 22-year career. He was an 11-time All-Star, a two-time World Series champion and a three-time NL MVP. He played for the Cardinals from 2001-11 and again in 2022, for the Angels from 2012-21 and also had a stint with the Dodgers in 2021.
Molina, a 10-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, is one of the best defensive catchers of his era and has also managed in winter ball in Venezuela. For Houston, he also carries another notable link: he has expressed interest in managing in the majors.
Another name in the mix is Morgan Ensberg, the former Astros All-Star third baseman and a teammate of Flores at USC. Ensberg has managed the Durham Bulls, Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate, for the last three seasons after four years as manager of the Montgomery Biscuits, the Rays’ Double-A club.
During that run, he guided Montgomery to four postseason berths. He has also managed in the Arizona Fall League and in winter ball in Venezuela.
In Other News...
Astros Just Took A Flier On A Bullpen Arm Worth Watching
The Astros added another arm to the bullpen mix by acquiring right-hander Evan Reifert from the Rays for cash considerations, a low-cost move that fits the kind of depth play contenders often make this time of year. Reifert has spent most of his professional career in Tampa Bays system and arrives with a profile that is easy to understand: plenty of strikeouts, some control questions, and a slider-heavy approach that has helped him miss bats.
At 27, Reifert is still chasing his first major league opportunity, and the appeal is obvious for Houston. He recently turned in a 2.48 ERA in Triple-A, which only adds to the intrigue around a pitcher whose stuff has long stood out more than his command. For the Astros, it is a worthwhile flier on a reliever worth watching, especially if they can help him sharpen the strike-throwing enough to make his arsenal play at the next level. [Read more 🡒]