Brad Ausmus
Had Brad Ausmus not been teammates with Jeff Bagwell, would he even be under consideration for this role? Yes, he played for the Astros, but what distinguishing trait does he bring to the table beyond that?
Ausmus has a terrible record as a manager, going 386-422. He’s never managed an elite team, but he also underachieved with all but one Tigers roster he managed and the 2019 Angels.
As Chandler Rome pointed out ($), the 2019 Angels were caught up in a scandal far more significant than banging a trash can, and while Ausmus was in no way complicit, can the Astros risk a hire like that after some of the goodwill they’ve restored to their franchise under Dusty Baker and their sustained winning?
Brian McTaggart said yesterday he didn’t believe the Astros would hire Ausmus and that the front office would want a more analytical mind. One can only hope.