Another MLB team has filled its managerial vacancy, as the Houston Astros are set to hire Brad Ausmus. Houston radio host John Granato first reported the hire, which was later confirmed by MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Ausmus spent eight seasons in Houston (2001-2008) as a player, including the 2005 squad that won a National League pennant.

That makes Ausmus the second manager hire of the offseason. The Seattle Mariners hired Jason Kanzler, the Cubs' director of player development, in a surprising move. The Astros will take the complete opposite approach and hire a manager with more traditional qualifications.

It's not surprising to see one team opt for the old-school approach with a manager. That comes on the heels of the latest champion, the Milwaukee Brewers, having that type of manager. Ausmus is a former catcher with an inate feel for the game that profiles well for managing a team.

What the Brad Ausmus Hire Means for the Astros

The Astros are going a regime change this offseason. They let general manager Dana Brown go and chose to let manager Joe Espada walk after three seasons on the job. They'll tab Randy Flores to take over baseball operations and Ausmus to manage the team.

Over the past three seasons, the Astros haven't seen much postseason success. There in a transitional period, where many of the players who keyed their 2022 championship have either left or are close to leaving. Flores will have to find a way to add talent to their roster and Ausmus will have to make it work on the field.

For the first time in his managerial career, Ausmus won't have the unenviable task with replacing a beloved manager. He replaced Hall of Famer Jim Leyland in Detroit, then Mike Scoscia in Los Angeles.

Brad Ausmus Coaching Career

After an 18-year playing career, Ausmus went into coaching. He became manager of the Detroit Tigers in 2014, succeeding Leyland. However, Ausmus would oversee the decline period for the Tigers, who went a decade between postseason appearances. He was let go after four seasons, although in two of them the club was above .500.

He followed up his stint in Detroit with a year as the Angels manager. He lasted just one season in the role and was dismissed after a 72-90 season. His overall record as a manager is 386-422.

Ausmus became a bench coach, where his previous managerial experience would be an asset. After a one-year stint in Oakland in 2022, he became the Yankees' bench coach for the past three seasons. In that time, the club reached the 2024 World Series before bowing out to the Dodgers in five games. He was in that role when the Astros hired him to be their next manager.

The only team yet to hire a manager this offseason is the Los Angeles Angels. Their situation is a bit different, as they're dealing with changes to the entire organization. After an ownership change, they're still sorting out their general manager hire as well. Once that's completed, the new general manager will then make hiring a manager their first priority.