Astros to Hire Brad Ausmus as Manager to Replace Joe Espada

The Houston Astros are hiring Brad Ausmus, a former catcher who spent 10 seasons with the franchise, as their new manager.

The Houston Astros are hiring New York Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus as the team's new manager, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday. Ausmus, 57, replaces Joe Espada, whose contract was not renewed after the American League West champions were swept by the Chicago White Sox in the wild card series. The hiring, first reported by MLB.com, brings back a former catcher who played 10 of his 18 MLB seasons in Houston.

Working under new general manager Randy Flores, Ausmus inherits a club that finished the most recent season with an 81-81 record. Despite the .500 finish, Houston won the AL West for the fifth time in six years, becoming the first MLB team to reach the postseason without a winning record during a non-shortened season. The team also interviewed Albert Pujols for the vacancy before settling on Ausmus, who holds a 386-422 career managerial record from previous stints with the Detroit Tigers (2014-17) and Los Angeles Angels (2019).

During the 2026 campaign, slugger Yordan Alvarez won the batting title with a .316 average while finishing fourth in home runs (42) and fifth in RBI (106). However, the roster dealt with significant health issues, including infielder Carlos Correa being sidelined after May 4 and ace Hunter Brown missing over three months. Additionally, All-Star closer Josh Hader did not debut until June 3, and shortstop Jeremy Pena served multiple stints on the injured list.