Jeff Bagwell pushes back on ‘friendship hire’ narrative, saying Ausmus is uniquely qualified to manage Astros

Houston’s new manager, Brad Ausmus, already had a ready-made relationship with Jeff Bagwell, but Bagwell said he does not want the hiring conversation to be reduced to friendship.

Bagwell noted that he and Ausmus played together for the Astros across multiple seasons, and he also acknowledged Ausmus’s history inside Major League Baseball before the team made him the next manager. Bagwell said the narrative that the job was primarily about their connection is overstated.

In describing the hiring process, Bagwell said he told owner Jim Crane and new general manager Randy Flores that he was not “banging the table” for Ausmus or any specific candidate. He added that Bagwell believes the Astros (and all clubs) ultimately have to like the candidates they select.

Bagwell argued that Ausmus’s qualifications are what stand out. He pointed to Ausmus’s 18 years of Major League service as a catcher and the idea that a catcher’s perspective helps shape how a pitching staff is managed.

Bagwell also cited managerial experience as part of the fit, saying Ausmus is the only one of the known candidates with Major League managerial experience. According to Bagwell’s account of the record, Ausmus went 386-422 across four Tigers seasons (2014-17) and one season with the Angels (2019), when Los Angeles posted a 72-90 mark under him.

Bagwell further connected the hiring choice to Astros needs, saying the organization has had to navigate a worn bullpen and bullpen injuries in recent years. He said the team wanted someone who understands pitchers, and that catchers, in his view, are uniquely positioned to do that.

Bagwell listed the other known candidates discussed during the process: former Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, former Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg, and Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta. He said the Astros still had to put the right decision-making process in place rather than assume the outcome was predetermined.