The New York Yankees have an opening beside Aaron Boone after Brad Ausmus left his bench-coach position to become manager of the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

Ausmus spent three seasons on Boone’s staff. His departure leaves the Yankees searching for a replacement as they assemble their coaching group for 2027.

The vacancy comes amid several staff changes, with New York facing decisions beyond who will serve as Boone’s closest assistant in the dugout next season.

Newsday Sports' Erik Boland shared a name to watch Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, pointing to a former Yankees coach with managerial experience and an established relationship with general manager Brian Cashman.

“One name to watch for Yankees bench coach: Joe Espada, the Astros manager the last 3 seasons before getting let go. Espada worked in the Yankees pro scouting dept in '14 & was Joe Girardi's bench coach from 2015-17. Has maintained a good relationship with Cashman through the yrs”

Espada’s previous Yankees role requires clarification. He served as third-base and infield coach from 2015-17, while Rob Thomson was Joe Girardi’s bench coach during that period.

Espada joined Houston as bench coach after the 2017 season before succeeding Dusty Baker as manager for 2024. The Astros declined to renew his contract after three seasons.

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He compiled a 256-229 regular-season record and won two AL West titles, although Houston went 0-4 in postseason games during his tenure.

The Yankees also face changes elsewhere on Boone’s staff. Field coordinator and director of catching Tanner Swanson joined the Seattle Mariners as bench coach, while reports have linked hitting coach James Rowson to a position with the San Francisco Giants.

Espada’s ties to Cashman and experience in both dugouts make him a name to watch as the Yankees reshape Boone’s staff. As of Wednesday, however, New York has not announced a replacement for Ausmus or an agreement with Espada.