Detroit Tigers will not renew contract of manager Brad Ausmus
By Tim Haberin
In a predictable move, the Detroit Tigers won’t retain manager Brad Ausmus beyond this season. The team envisions a new skipper at the helm for its rebuild.
The Detroit Tigers took several steps this season to signal that they are turning the page on this era of the ballclub and looking toward the future. We now know that manager Brad Ausmus will not be the one guiding the team through the upcoming transitional phase.
According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, the Tigers will not extend Ausmus’ contract, which ends at the conclusion of the season. General manager Al Avila made the announcement on Friday, adding that Ausmus will remain in the dugout for the season’s final games.
Ausmus’ exit isn’t exactly surprising. The Tigers have had a simply woeful year. They entered the campaign hoping to taking one last shot at the postseason with their current group of veterans. Instead, they’ve sunk to a 62-91 record, a better mark than only the White Sox, Phillies and Giants. They have been no more than four games over .500 all season, and that was all the way back on April 16.
Avila cited the excessive losing when discussing the rationale for not retaining the skipper. Per MLB.com:
"“He understood the reasoning, which is obvious: We didn’t win,” Avila said. “The organization got to a point where we needed change on the field, we needed change in the roster, and that’s when we started trading players . . . We felt it’s a new beginning, a fresh start, and we’ll have fresh leadership, new leadership, as we move forward.”"
Those trades Avila mentioned significantly altered the makeup of the team, and its ability to win games. Detroit unloaded one of its best hitters in J.D. Martinez, a former Cy Young and MVP winner in Justin Verlander, along with closer Justin Wilson, who was emerging as one of the league’s better relievers. The club had nowhere to go but further downward after such a public surrender of talent, but it took a thoroughly disappointing first-half performance to get to the point where a sell-off was deemed the prudent course of action.
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Ausmus’ status with the Tigers has been tenuous at best even before this season. He was hired in November of 2013 by then-GM Dave Dombrowski. A 90-72 record and AL Central Division title in that first year earned Ausmus a fair amount of goodwill which gradually seemed to diminish in the ensuing seasons.
His Tigers have gone a lackluster 222-263 (.458) since then, and after merely renewing his club option after last year, it became clear the team was not going to give him a new deal.
The manager’s departure is the latest in a series of changes that should only continue into the offseason. Avila is sure to listen to trade offers on any remaining veteran pieces, including Miguel Cabrera. (Although the slugger’s expensive contract and declining production make him not nearly as appealing as he used to be.) Second baseman Ian Kinsler, subject of numerous trade rumors this year, could also be moved.
Next: Possible trade destinations for Ian Kinsler
The Tigers will move quickly to find a new skipper, and their choice could set the tone for their rebuild. Avila says managerial experience, whether in the majors or minors, will be a factor in their search, according to MLB.com.