Former Detroit Tigers manager in the running for Astros GM job

Former Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus in the mix for GM job.

It's probably not a name that Detroit Tigers fans thought they were going to see in the news in 2023, but Brad Ausmus is in the running for another big-league job. After his tenure with the Tigers organization, everyone was quite displeased.

Ausmus had some large shoes to fill. After all, he replaced one of the all-time greats in, Jim Leyland as the Detroit Tigers manager. Things did not go well, leading to his departure from the organization after four seasons.

He left the Tigers organization, landing a gig with the Los Angeles Angels, where he spent the 2019 season as their manager. He posted a 72-90 record and was relieved of his duties. He began pursuing front office positions but ended up failing to end up with one.

Ausmus had interviewed for managerial positions during the 2022 season, including the New York Mets manager vacancy that went to Buck Showalter. Ausmus took a bench coach role with the Oakland Athletics for the 2022 season.

But, as the 2023 season inches closer and closer, Ausmus is in the news once again. He's in the running for the Houston Astros General Manager role. After winning the 2022 World Series, the Astros opted not to renew James Click's contract, which had expired.

Click had been operating under owner Jim Crane who finds himself with a very hands-on approach. The Astros are pursuing other options now, and Ausmus is penciled in as one of the possibilities. Ausmus has experience as a manager and is a former player, so he brings an interesting vantage point to the table, but it's hard to think that Crane will like what Ausmus is bringing to the table.

After all, Ausmus's managerial career is not the best, as he has a 386-422 record over five seasons. But Crane, who likes to be a hands-on owner and has a significant say in the direction of the ball club, might not enjoy Ausmus trying to operate things his way.

But, the report from MLive states that Ausmus is one of the finalists for the position. Even if Ausmus lands the job and things do not go entirely as planned, do not expect much to change with Houston. The Astros have a really good culture of development throughout their system and have become a perennial contender.

Say what you will about the sign-stealing scandal, which was indeed incredibly wrong; the Astros know how to get it done. They can breed their own talent and find ways to develop players through the minor leagues.

Either way, for Tigers fans worried about what Brad Ausmus is up to these days, it's worth keeping an eye on the GM vacancy in Houston.