The Houston Astros had a chance to hand their next managerial job to one of the most recognizable players in baseball. Instead, they hired Brad Ausmus, a familiar face whose previous opportunities in the dugout produced rather ordinary results.

That decision became official Wednesday, when Houston named Ausmus its replacement for Joe Espada. But the choice also raises an interesting question about the candidate the Astros didn’t hire: Albert Pujols.

According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Pujols was among the candidates Houston planned to interview, and the Houston Chronicle subsequently reported that the interview took place. The former St. Louis Cardinals star was not some name casually floated by fans. He actually received legitimate consideration before the Astros went in another direction.

Pujols Offered More Than a Famous Name

Pujols hasn’t managed a big league club, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have experience. He guided Leones del Escogido to Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series championships in 2025, then managed the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

His team won its first five games before losing 2-1 to the United States in the semifinals. Leading that collection of established MLB stars was a meaningful assignment, even if a short international tournament hardly replicates the daily demands of a 162-game marathon.

The appeal extends beyond those results, though. Pujols retired with 703 home runs and three MVP awards, and few people in baseball arrive in a clubhouse carrying that kind of credibility. It isn’t difficult to imagine players being excited to work for him.

A respected former superstar might’ve made Houston more appealing to free agents deciding between comparable offers. Even players involved in trade discussions might view the destination more favorably. Of course, Pujols’ presence doesn’t guarantee anything, but it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Houston Chose Experience Over Possibility

Ausmus, unlike Pujols, has already managed in MLB. He won the AL Central with Detroit in 2014 and spent the last three years as the New York Yankees’ bench coach. He has a career managerial record that currently stands at 386-422.

Those numbers aren’t an automatic disqualification, however unsatisfying they might appear. Perhaps Ausmus learned enough in New York to become a better manager than he was in Detroit or Anaheim. Houston obviously thinks so. If the Astros have their way, then Ausmus will be the man leading the parade through downtown in the near future.

Pujols represented a different, and more entertaining, kind of bet. His presence alone wouldn’t have fixed the Astros’ roster issues, and there’s no way to know whether he would’ve succeeded. Passing on him isn’t necessarily a mistake.

But it would’ve been fun. It would’ve been innovative. It would’ve been a breath of fresh air. Ausmus, through no fault of his own, doesn’t represent any of that.

Hiring Ausmus isn’t a wrong choice, at least not yet. But for a franchise that’s attempting to convince everybody that its next chapter will look different than the last, it’s definitely a curious choice.