The Yankees’ offseason uncertainty is no longer limited to the roster. Now, one of Aaron Boone’s most important staff members has become part of the conversation.
Brad Ausmus, who has served as the Yankees’ bench coach for the past three seasons, visited the Houston Astros’ offices at Daikin Park on Thursday, Oct. 29.
The visit was tied to Houston’s search for a general manager, according to reporting published Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Astros later hired Randy Flores for that role.
That move did not close the door on Ausmus in Houston. He is still viewed as a possible candidate for the Astros’ vacant managerial job as the club looks for a replacement for Joe Espada. The report pointed to him as a managerial possibility, not as an official hire or even a confirmed interview for that position.
Houston did not renew Espada’s contract after the 2026 season. Flores, who had been an assistant general manager with St. Louis, was hired Oct. 30, leaving the manager opening as the next major decision for the organization.
Ausmus is hardly new to Houston’s search process. He has interviewed there before for both baseball operations and managing jobs. He was in the mix for the Astros’ manager opening in 2020 before the team chose Dusty Baker, and he was also a finalist for the general manager post before Dana Brown was hired ahead of 2023.
His ties to the Astros run deep. Ausmus spent 10 seasons as a catcher in Houston, more than anyone else in franchise history in games caught. He won three Gold Gloves with the club and was part of the 2005 team that reached the World Series.
He also has a relationship with Jeff Bagwell, who serves as a senior adviser to Houston’s ownership and baseball operations. That connection, along with his background as both a former player and a major league manager, helps explain why his name keeps coming up in Houston.
Ausmus managed the Tigers from 2014 through 2017 and the Angels in 2019. Across those stops, he posted a 386-422 record. Detroit won the American League Central in his first year, though the team did not get past the Division Series.
For the Yankees, the concern is obvious. Ausmus joined Boone’s staff before the 2024 season and has spent three regular seasons at his side, giving him a front-row view of the clubhouse, lineup work, pitching staff and daily game prep.
If Houston makes him its manager, New York would have to adjust again while the organization continues to sort through other changes. That matters because the bench coach role carries real weight. It is not just another voice in the dugout; it touches advance planning, game preparation, in-game choices and coordination across the staff.
The Yankees are trying to steady themselves after another season that ended without a championship, and continuity on the coaching staff matters in that kind of environment. Losing a trusted partner like Ausmus would force Boone to rebuild an important working relationship.
Houston’s next move could come quickly, with the General Managers Meetings approaching. The Astros want to get back to consistent postseason contention, and their new general manager will be stepping into a process that still includes a manager vacancy.
For now, Ausmus remains with the Yankees. But Houston’s next hire will decide whether Boone keeps one of his closest advisers or has to fill another opening in an offseason already full of questions.
In Other News...
Yankees Risk Another Costly Fit Chasing Right-Handed Help For Judge
The Yankees are already looking at ways to reshape the offense around Aaron Judge after another early postseason exit, and the front offices thinking is clear: add more right-handed power to create a better balance in the lineup. One name that has surfaced is Teoscar Hernandez, a Dodgers outfielder who brings World Series experience and the kind of pop that can change a game in a hurry.
But the fit is not as simple as the profile suggests. Hernandez comes with defensive concerns, a hefty salary for one guaranteed season, and some recent decline in home run production, which makes him a more complicated answer than a clean one. For a Yankees club trying to support Judge without boxing itself into another expensive mistake, the appeal is obvious, but so are the risks. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Are Being Warned Away From 3 Tempting Trade Targets
The Yankees offseason shopping list is being narrowed by more than just price tags. As the front office weighs ways to add impact without clogging up the roster, three names that might look appealing on paper are drawing caution for different reasons: CJ Abrams, Hunter Goodman and Spencer Torkelson each bring a skill set that could fit a contender, but each also comes with enough baggage to make the fit less clean than it first appears.
Abrams would require the Yankees to buy into both his bat and his defensive value while also paying a premium to land him. Goodmans power is eye-catching, but his strikeout issues and the Coors Field effect make the numbers harder to trust. Torkelson, meanwhile, runs into a different problem entirely, because the Yankees already have enough depth at first base and designated hitter to question whether he would actually solve anything. For a club trying to build around younger internal options, the better move may be to keep the runway clear for players like George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Prospect Dax Kilby Is Forcing A Much Bigger Conversation
Dax Kilbys Arizona Fall League showing is doing more than easing any lingering concern about the hamstring injury that wiped out most of his 2026 season. The Yankees prospect has looked sharp at the plate, hitting .288/.350/.558 with two home runs through 13 games, and the performance has come with noticeable swing adjustments that suggest this is more than a simple hot streak.
Eric Longenhagen has already taken notice, praising Kilby and projecting him as a potential top-20 prospect in upcoming rankings. For a player who spent much of the year sidelined, that kind of momentum matters, because it puts Kilby back into a conversation the Yankees would much rather have now than later: how quickly his talent can translate into a real rise through the system. [Read more 🡒]