Houston Astros' Managerial Search Could Wind Down In Days, With Gm Randy Flores 'hopeful'

LAS VEGAS - The Houston Astros' managerial search may be nearing a resolution, with general manager Randy Flores saying Tuesday he is "hopeful" the team can finalize a hire this week.

"I'm hopeful and I would expect that happens," Flores said at baseball's GM meetings. "But we'll see."

The manager search has been Flores' foremost priority since officially being introduced as Houston's new general manager last Monday. The Astros interviewed former Cardinals legend Albert Pujols last week, according to people familiar with the situation, and have also reportedly talked to Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus and Rays Triple-A manager Morgan Ensberg - both former Astros players - about the job.

Flores declined to discuss specific candidates Tuesday during his media availability at the Aria Resort, though he did acknowledge that Pujols, Ensberg and Ausmus' names have been connected publicly to the Astros' search. Flores said the Astros have had contact with "more than four" candidates "at various levels of communication."

Astros owner Jim Crane said last Monday the team already had talked to "a few" managerial candidates prior to hiring Flores and that the new GM would take over the search. Flores said Tuesday he has involved assistant general managers Charles Cook and Gavin Dickey, senior advisor Jeff Bagwell and Crane in the interview process "in various ways."

"I think that things are trending in a positive direction," Flores said. "The way I describe it is - hopefully we're at the spot soon of dotting some I's and crossing T's and look to make a decision soon."

Pujols, Ensberg and Ausmus are all former major-league players - like Flores, a former reliever. Another candidate whom the Astros have reportedly interviewed, Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta, did not play in the majors. Flores, though, said major-league playing experience is not a prerequisite for the Astros in hiring their next manager or filling out multiple openings on their coaching staff.

"I want to be open-minded to whatever personality and profile that person is," said Flores, the former St. Louis scouting director. "Just look at our track record in the draft with the Cardinals - there wasn't a certain type of profile. It's being open to whatever the board presents to you."

Houston's next manager is set to inherit several coaches the team held over from its 2026 major-league staff, including pitching coach Josh Miller and lead hitting coach Victor Rodriguez. Flores indicated he does not expect that to deter any managerial candidates and that rounding out the coaching staff is on hold until a manager is hired so that person can have input.

"Filling that (staff) out in the modern construction is collaboration," Flores said. "We have laid some of the groundwork internally on what candidates fit, but we want to pair that with our manager's Rolodex as well."

Several of the reported managerial candidates have connections to Flores or the Astros - or both. Flores was a teammate of Pujols in St. Louis, where Flores later became scouting director and assistant GM. Ensberg, the former Astros third baseman, and Flores were college teammates at University of Southern California. Ausmus, the former catcher, has interviewed for previous Astros manager and GM openings.

Ausmus is the only one of the four publicly reported candidates who has been a full-time manager in the majors, for the Tigers and Angels, and retains a close relationship with Bagwell from their playing days.

Pujols has expressed his desire to manage in the majors since his playing career ended in 2022 and has managed in the Dominican Winter League and World Baseball Classic. Ensberg has managed in both the Astros' and the Rays' minor-league systems. Urueta managed in Arizona's minor-league system and the WBC and was the Marlins' interim manager for two games at the end of the 2024 season.

Flores made clear several times Tuesday he hopes for a resolution at manager soon. The potential for a lockout starting Dec. 1 narrows the Astros' window to finalize their manager and coaching staff and begin to shape their roster before a shutdown, as teams are not permitted to make transactions with or contact players on 40-man rosters during a lockout.

This week's GM meetings presents a chance for teams to accelerate talks about potential transactions. Flores said the Astros were scheduled to meet with representatives from seven agencies Tuesday and lining up meetings with executives from other organizations in Las Vegas. But he reiterated that finding a manager is still the first order of business for Houston.

"My hope is to get back to Houston at the end of this week and hopefully finalize our manager decision," Flores said, "and then spend the next week really in bunker-down mode on filling out our major-league (coaching) staff and the order of operations in tackling our team and roster construction."

Subscribe

This article originally published at Houston Astros' managerial search could wind down in days, with GM Randy Flores 'hopeful'.