Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus named Astros manager

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Nov 11, 2026

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — The Astros have hired Brad Ausmus to be their next manager, the team announced on Wednesday. That means the Yankees need a new bench coach, as Ausmus served as Aaron Boone’s right-hand man the past three seasons.

On Tuesday, Brian Cashman noted that Ausmus was still a candidate for Houston’s managerial vacancy, and that he was also a candidate for their general manager search before that job went to Randy Flores. Ausmus also interviewed for the Astros’ managerial job in 2020 before they hired Dusty Baker and was a finalist for their GM job before it went to Dana Brown in 2023.

After years of interviewing, Ausmus is now returning to the franchise that he spent 10 seasons catching for. The reunion comes with some questions about Houston’s hierarchy, though, as Ausmus is close with former teammate and current Astros senior advisor Jeff Bagwell. While Flores is the GM now, Bagwell is heavily involved in Houston and has the ear of Astros owner Jim Crane.

Ausmus, meanwhile, hasn’t fared well as a skipper in the past. He managed the Tigers from 2014-2017 and the Angels in 2019, compiling a 386-422 (.478) record. His only postseason appearance came in his first year as a manager, and his Tigers were promptly swept by the Orioles in the ALDS.

As for the Yankees, one would think that they will look to replace Ausmus with someone who has major league playing and/or managing experience, especially after former catching director Tanner Swanson wasn’t seen as a likely candidate for the gig before it opened. Swanson was recently named the Mariners’ bench coach.

With that in mind, the Astros’ last manager, Joe Espada, is a name to watch, ironically enough. He worked in the Yankees’ pro scouting department in 2014, was Joe Girardi’s third base coach from 2015-2017, and has maintained a good relationship with Cashman since becoming the Astros’ bench coach in 2018.

Espada succeeded Baker as Houston’s manager after the 2023 season and went 256-229 with two postseason appearances over three seasons as skipper.

Bench coach won’t be the only position on the Yankees’ staff with a new face next season, as a source confirmed that the Giants are working to hire James Rowson, the Yankees’ lead hitting coach since 2024, to a similar position.

Fansided’s Robert Murray first reported that the sides are talking, and Cashman was noncommittal about Rowson returning as the Yankees’ hitting coach on Tuesday. He noted that Rowson is a free agent who was talking to other teams, and that the Yankees were weighing external and internal candidates for the role.

“I’m working through thoughts and permutations and have had discussions about what’s best and what’s next,” Cashman said. “I’ll just leave it at that.”

Potential options could include former longtime Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates. Jarret DeHart, the Yankees’ director of hitting, also has experience working with some of the younger players on the team’s big league roster.

Based on wRC+, Rowson oversaw baseball’s best offense in 2024 and 2025. However, the Bombers finished 10th in runs scored (739), 11th in OPS (.720), 14th in wRC+ (101) and 27th in K% (24.7%) in 2026 while Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and others missed significant time. The subpar offensive performance — which included scoring just five runs while getting swept by the Rays in the ALDS — drew public criticism from Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, all but guaranteeing a shakeup to the team’s hitting staff.

It remains to be seen if the Yankees will replace Rowson’s assistants, Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst, but they are still under contract.

Either way, the Yankees will now hire their fifth lead hitting coach under Boone as he prepares for his 10th season as skipper. That person will be the club’s fourth hitting coach since 2022.