Yankees Lose Bench Coach and Hitting Coach

The Yankees are facing changes to two key coaching positions after Brad Ausmus and James Rowson moved on from the club during the general managers’ meetings. Ausmus, the team’s bench coach for the past three seasons, is set to manage the Houston Astros. Rowson is joining the San Francisco Giants’ staff as offensive coordinator.

Rowson’s contract expired after the 2026 season. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had described him as a free agent considering opportunities elsewhere while the club weighed its own plans. The departure follows criticism from owner Hal Steinbrenner, who identified the offense as a problem in the Yankees’ recent seasons without a championship.

Rowson became the Yankees’ hitting coach in 2024, after previously working as a minor-league hitting coordinator for the organization. He also held hitting-coach roles with the Cubs, Twins, Marlins and Tigers. Yankees star Aaron Judge was among the players who supported him. The team has yet to determine what will happen to Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst, two coaches who assist with hitting.

Ausmus previously managed the Tigers and Angels and played for Houston, catching more than 1,200 games for the Astros. Houston’s hiring is the first major move under general manager Randy Flores, introduced last week. The Astros reached the American League Championship Series each year from 2017 through 2024, but have not won a postseason game under Joe Espada during the 2024-26 seasons.

The Yankees’ staff has now lost three members this offseason: Ausmus, Rowson and Tanner Swanson, who left to become the Mariners’ bench coach. The changes leave Boone’s coaching group set to look different in 2027.