Aaron Boone's Role in Astros' Brad Ausmus Hire Comes to Light

Aaron Boone's unexpected role in the Astros’ appointment of Brad Ausmus as their new manager has been revealed.

According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, conversations with the New York Yankees manager helped Astros executive Randy Flores understand how Ausmus had developed during his time in New York.

Ausmus spent three seasons as Boone's bench coach from 2024 through 2026. During that period, the two worked closely together, including overseeing spring training alongside major league field coordinator Tanner Swanson.

His experience with the Yankees gave him another opportunity to grow after two difficult spells as a major league manager.

Before joining Boone's staff, Ausmus managed the Detroit Tigers from 2014 to 2017 and the Los Angeles Angels in 2019. His teams finished with a combined managerial record of 386-422, and neither appointment produced the results he wanted.

Those earlier experiences raised questions about whether he could succeed in another managerial role. However, Flores believed Ausmus had learned from his previous mistakes and developed a better understanding of the job while working in New York.

“A lot of what went into Randy Flores wanting to explore Brad Ausmus as a candidate was talking to Aaron Boone about some of the things he saw about how Brad Ausmus evolved in New York,” Rome said.

"Brad Ausmus’s first two managerial stints did not go well. Record-wise, optics-wise, there was a lot of bad stuff ... But you are allowed to get better at this, and that is what Randy Flores essentially is banking on here. He and Brad Ausmus had some pretty honest conversation about how he has evolved since going to New York… One of the things Randy Flores said about him is that he has learned how to handle the media from Aaron Boone.”

New York Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus (68) stands with manager Aaron Boone (17). Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

This was an important part of Houston's decision to appoint him as the franchise's 21st manager following Joe Espada's departure.

Ausmus also has a strong personal connection to the Astros. He spent 10 of his 18 major league seasons as a catcher in Houston and maintained a longstanding friendship with Hall of Famer and senior adviser Jeff Bagwell. His familiarity with the organization gives him another connection as he prepares to take charge of the team.

His appointment also creates new vacancies in the Yankees' coaching staff. Ausmus has left Boone's side to take the Houston job, while Swanson has departed to become the Seattle Mariners' bench coach.

Those departures leave Boone and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman with multiple positions to fill ahead of the next season, following Ausmus' decision to return to Houston

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