Astros hire Brad Ausmus, bringing a familiar catcher back to a different job

Brad Ausmus is returning to Houston as manager. The Astros announced the appointment Wednesday, giving the former catcher another chance to run a major-league club after earlier stops in Detroit and Anaheim.

General manager Randy Flores announced the hire. Houston says Ausmus and Flores will speak at Daikin Park on Friday, with the club carrying the introduction on its own channels. The announcement settles a search that earlier Wednesday reports still described as approaching a decision.

Ausmus spent 2024 through 2026 as the Yankees’ bench coach, following a season in that role with Oakland in 2022. His departure creates another coaching position for New York to fill this winter.

The record behind the return

His managerial record offers both a successful first season and a less convincing overall picture. Detroit went 90-72 and won the AL Central in 2014, then lost all three games of its Division Series. The Tigers won 86 games in 2016 but finished outside the postseason.

Across four Detroit seasons, Ausmus went 314-332. His 2019 Angels finished 72-90. Together, those five seasons produced a 386-422 record, a .478 winning percentage and one postseason appearance.

Those records are a starting point for judging the hire. They reflect the rosters he managed as well as his decisions, and Houston will need to evaluate how he plans to use this particular team. Bullpen roles, playing-time decisions and the staff around him will offer more useful evidence than familiarity alone.

Ausmus also brings front-office experience. The Astros’ release notes his work as a special assistant in San Diego from 2011 through 2013 and with the Angels in 2018. The new job draws on that broader background while returning him to the daily decisions of the dugout.