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Astros bring back former catcher Brad Ausmus as their manager after Joe Espada exit

New general manager Randy Flores made the announcement, which brings the former catcher back to the place where he spent 10 years of his playing career.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated November 11, 2026, 6:09 PM UTC
Key points
  • Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols, former Astros player Morgan Ensberg and Texas Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta were among other candidates Houston considered before landing on Ausmus.
  • HOUSTON (AP) — Brad Ausmus was named manager of the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
  • “We are thrilled to welcome Brad back to the Astros organization,” Flores said in a news release.

“I’d like to thank Randy and the entire Astros organization for this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get to work.” He replaces Joe Espada, whose contract wasn’t renewed after the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox in a Wild Card series.

I am excited to work alongside Brad and happy to have him back in an Astros uniform.” Ausmus said he is excited to return to Houston.

Additional details
  • “The Astros and the city of Houston have been a huge part of my life, and I’m thrilled to create a new chapter as the team’s manager,” he said.
  • He had a big home run earlier in that playoff run when his shot tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves that the Astros went on to win 7-6 in 18 innings.
  • He played 1,971 MLB games, including 1,259 with the Astros, the most by a catcher in franchise history.
  • “Brad impressed us throughout the interview process, demonstrating the leadership, energy, and expertise critical to driving a winning culture both on and off the field.
  • He was the team’s catcher when the Astros reached the World Series in 2005 for the first time.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Yahoo SportsNovember 11, 2026, 6:09 PM UTC →

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