Reports: Yankees hire Brad Ausmus as bench coach

Field Level Media|published: Tue 21st November, 17:08 2023

Sep 4, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Oakland Athletics bench coach Brad Ausmus (16) looks onto the field during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. credits: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees hired former Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels manager Brad Ausmus to be their bench coach, the New York Post and other outlets reported Tuesday.

The Yankees had a vacancy behind Aaron Boone on the bench after the crosstown rival Mets hired Carlos Mendoza away from the Bronx to be their new manager.

Ausmus, 54, succeeded Jim Leyland as Detroit's manager in the 2014 season and guided the Tigers to an American League Central title in his first year. The Tigers went 314-332 in Ausmus' four seasons in charge and did not return to the playoffs or win a postseason game.

The Angels went 72-90 in Ausmus' lone year as their manager in 2019. Most recently, he spent the 2022 season as the bench coach of the Oakland Athletics.

Ausmus spent 18 seasons as a major league catcher for the San Diego Padres (1993-96), Tigers (1996, 1999-2000), Houston Astros (1997-98, 2001-08) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2009-10). He was an All-Star in 1999, a three-time Gold Glove winner and a lifetime .251 hitter with 80 home runs, 607 RBIs and 102 stolen bases.

Ausmus was a draft pick of the Yankees in 1987 but never played for their big-league club, as he moved to the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 expansion draft.

—Field Level Media