Slew of Former Astros Take on Coaching Jobs

Like many major-league clubs, players can soon be identified as future coaches or managers based on their baseball knowledge and leadership. It is not always the star-studded sluggers taking the reins but the ones that know how to impact the game for the better.

The Houston Astros have had similar instances in the past with an aging Carlos Beltran, but even though he was an All-Star in his day, there are members of the staff now that were mediocre former players.

For Beltran, he still remains out of a baseball dugout or front office, after being stripped of the New York Mets’ managerial job in 2020. This was in part to the sign stealing scandal, but the San Diego Padres recently talked shop with Beltran about a job, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports.

While three of these former Astros didn’t stay long, they are now within new organizations, looking to keep their baseball careers alive.

Brad Ausmus

While out of baseball since 2019, Ausmus is now expected to take the bench coach job for the Oakland A’s. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the 18-year veteran and former manager of the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels brings experience to the staff of new Athletics’ manager, Mark Kotsay.

Reid Brignac and Jerome Williams

These two’s stints with the Astros didn’t last longer than a cup of coffee, but they are two journeymen that took pitstops in Houston. Brignac was recently announced as the manager of the Birmingham Rumble Ponies, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets.

Brignac played his final major-league season in 2016, before signing a minor-league deal with the Astros for 2017. He remained in the system for the World Series and was granted free agency after the season.

His pitching coach is Williams, who spent half of his 2014 season with the Astros. Williams was signed a few weeks before spring training that year, and while sporting a 6.04 ERA, the right-hander was inevitably released. His final major-league season came in 2016 in Philadelphia.

Ray Montgomery

Although only having 46 major-league games to his name, Montgomery played his entire career with the Astros. The former outfielder had a career-OPS of .638, while soon finding his calling from the dugout and the front office.

Heyman of MLB Network reported that Montgomery was hired out of the Angels’ own front office to be their next bench coach. The 52-year-old has been described as a “very well respected longtime executive,” while Montgomery previously worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers.