Houston, Texas: Astros Hire Brad Ausmus, Their Former Catcher, as Manager

The Houston Astros hired Brad Ausmus as manager on Wednesday, the club announced, turning to the catcher who played ten seasons in Houston and was behind the plate for the team that reached the World Series in 2005.

Ausmus, 57, takes his third job as a major league manager. He managed the Detroit Tigers from 2014 through 2017 and the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, and he spent the past three seasons as bench coach of the New York Yankees. The hire was first reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and confirmed in the club announcement Wednesday.

"I am very excited to be back in Houston," Ausmus said in a statement released by the club. "The Astros and the City of Houston have been a huge part of my life, and I am thrilled to create a new chapter as the team's manager. I would like to thank Randy and the entire Astros organization for this opportunity, and I can't wait to get to work."

The playing career Houston remembers

Ausmus played for the Astros in 1997 and 1998 and again from 2001 through 2008, part of an 18-year catching career that also included San Diego, Detroit and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his only All-Star team in 1999 with Detroit and won three Gold Glove awards. In Houston he was a core player on the 2005 club that won the National League pennant and reached the first World Series in franchise history.

Hall of Fame first baseman Jeff Bagwell, his former teammate, remains a trusted advisor to owner Jim Crane, USA Today reported. The club recently hired former Cardinals executive Randy Flores as general manager, and Flores ran the search that ended with Ausmus.

The record he brings back

Ausmus holds a 386-422 record as a manager. In Detroit he went 314-332 over four seasons. His first Tigers team won the American League Central at 90-72 in 2014, then lost to Baltimore in a three-game Division Series sweep. His last three Detroit clubs missed the playoffs, and the Tigers did not bring him back after 2017. He managed the Angels to a 72-90 record in 2019, his most recent season as a manager before this hire. He also served as the Oakland bench coach in 2022 and managed Team Israel at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where Israel went 2-2 and did not advance out of pool play.

What he inherits

Ausmus replaces Joe Espada, who managed the Astros for three seasons and won two division titles. Houston won the AL West again this season at 81-81, a .500 record, then was swept in the Wild Card Series. The club did not renew Espada's contract and parted ways with him in October. Ausmus now takes over a roster that has reached the playoffs in two of the past three seasons and a front office rebuilt this fall under Flores.