The Yankees may have one more staffing wrinkle to sort through, and it involves one of Aaron Boone’s most trusted voices.
Bench coach Brad Ausmus reportedly interviewed with the Astros last week for their vacant manager job, creating a possible opening in New York’s coaching setup as the Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman sort through expiring contracts on the staff.
Ausmus, 57, is among several Yankees coaches whose deals are up, along with hitting coach James Rowson, catching coordinator Tanner Swanson and others. His status matters because he sits right next to Boone in the dugout and has been part of the group the Yankees are now deciding whether to keep together or reshape.
The Yankees already made two major calls after being swept by the Rays in an American League Division Series in early October. Owner Hal Steinbrenner gave Cashman a new contract and chose to retain Boone, who has one season left on his deal. Then the club brought back pitching coach Matt Blake after the Yankees posted an MLB-best 3.23 ERA in 2026.
Rowson’s future is less certain. Steinbrenner publicly pointed to the Yankees’ offense as a reason the team finished second to the Rays in the AL East and then lost to them in the second round of the playoffs with a roster he believed was championship caliber.
Ausmus was in Houston last Thursday meeting with the Astros at Daikin Park, according to MLB.com beat writer Brian McTaggart. That meeting came one day before the Astros hired Randy Flores for their general manager opening.
The Astros’ manager job opened on Oct. 14 when Joe Espada was fired after three seasons. Espada had previously served as the Yankees’ third base coach under Joe Girardi from 2015-17.
Ausmus brings five seasons of managerial experience, having led the Tigers from 2014-17 and the Angels in 2019. He also managed Israel in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
As a player, the former All-Star catcher spent 10 of his 18 major league seasons with Houston, including seven alongside Jeff Bagwell, the franchise legend and Hall of Fame first baseman who now serves as a senior advisor to owner Jim Crane and baseball operations.
This is not the first time Ausmus has been in the Astros’ orbit. He was a finalist for their manager opening in 2020, when they hired Dusty Baker after the sign-stealing scandal that led to the firings of A.J.
Hinch and Jeff Luhnow. Ausmus also interviewed for Houston’s GM job in 2023 before Dana Brown got the role.
Other names linked to the Astros’ manager search include Morgan Ensberg, the former All-Star third baseman. Two future Hall of Famers could also be in the mix: Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, both former Cardinals teammates of Flores.
If the Yankees do not lock down their coaching staff this week, Cashman is expected to address the situation during the GM Meetings in Las Vegas from Nov. 9-12.
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