Astros hiring Brad Ausmus could come with fun added benefit at Yankees’ expense

Dating back to the eve of the Houston Astros hiring Randy Flores to be their next general manager, there have been signs pointing to Brad Ausmus being the preferred choice at manager. Ausmus, of course, spent 10 years with the Astros during the course of his 18-year playing career, and while it does feel like a classic case of Astros-nepotism, there could be a hidden benefit to the hire.

Since being a one-and-done manager for the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, Ausmus had a stop with the Athletics in 2022 as the team's bench coach, but has spent the past three years in New York under Aaron Boone.

Serving as Boone's right-hand man in the dugout, it's safe to say that Ausmus has added shine back to his managerial profile. It was forgettable run he had with the Angels, and when he was manager of the Detroit Tigers from 2014 through 2017, it essentially marked the end of Detroit's contention window that existed under Jim Leyland.

Astros' potential Brad Ausmus hire could create an awkward problem for Yankees

That doesn't mean that Ausmus' return to Houston wouldn't come without some questions. This is an Astros team that is in dire need of a reset, and while Flores could be the right man for that approach, there's nothing in Ausmus' managerial history that suggests he's the type of manager that should be overseeing a reset. Not to mention, the impression his hire would give, considering it would be a sign that Jim Crane and Jeff Bagwell may still have the final say in Houston's baseball operations.

Regardless, there is a silver lining for Astros fans, and one that they could take comic relief in. Boone's coaching staff with the Yankees has been poached this year. Shelley Duncan is now with the Boston Red Sox, and if Ausmus leaves for Houston, that would leave the Yankees scrambling to fill the spots on Boone's staff.

Perhaps there's some Yankees schadenfreude at play from Crane and the rest of the Astros' decision makers. There certainly is no love lost between Crane and Yankees, so perhaps he sees a reunion with Ausmus of taking care of two things at once. The Astros would have a familiar face serving as their manager, and the Yankees would be facing a coaching staff problem with less than a month remaining before the MLB lockout.

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