TODAY: Detroit has formally announced that Ausmus will be back next season. The press release makes no mention of any additional contract years, so it doesn’t seem that he has received any longer-term assurances.
YESTERDAY: The Tigers will exercise manager Brad Ausmus’ option for 2017, reports Chris McCosky of the Detroit News (Twitter link). Under Ausmus, the Tigers have gone 250-234 – including 86-75 in 2016 – with one playoff appearance in three seasons.
Detroit fell 2.5 games short of an American League wild-card spot this year, and there have been questions over the past several months regarding Ausmus’ job security. Ausmus seemed frustrated with his status over the weekend, telling reporters to “ask whoever’s managing next year” when they inquired about how the Tigers plan to use reliever Bruce Rondon in 2017. Ausmus also said he has “kind of been an interim manager for like two years.” Nevertheless, the former big league catcher expressed a desire to continue as Detroit’s skipper.
“It’s going to be between me and Al,” he said, referring to general manager Al Avila. “If Al thinks he would rather have someone else, I would respect his decision. If Al would like me to do it, I would love to do it. But to speculate over it is a waste of time.”
Avila was scheduled to meet with Ausmus sometime this week to discuss the latter’s job. It now appears Ausmus will get another chance with a Detroit team that has gone back-to-back years without a playoff berth.
I was a little surprised that Ausmus was kind of on the hot seat. All things considered he seems like he does a pretty good job.
I know this is not the popular opinion, but I am glad he will be back. I think he has done well with a lot of improvements this year. I do feel bad for him that it seems like he is constantly on a “year to year” basis. I see both sides but its got to be hard to not have any consistent job security.. He’s come a long way and when you think that not that many managers go to the playoffs and WS each year, he’s holding his own. Look at the Dallas Cowboys: what have they done in the last decade and their coach is still there. Brad is 2/3 in getting in or runner up to playoffs.
You are right, won’t be popular. But I would agree it is the correct decision. He is by far better than any of the proposed candidates being bandied about. But wait and see if this is just the Tigers picking up the option or is there an extension coming as well. I would agree he probably does not like the year to year thing, his comments post game on Sunday seem to indicate that.
Managers usually get the blame when the team fails to live up to expectations. Fair or not, part of the job. At least Avila recognizes the job he is doing.
Ausmus isn’t bad. I would take him over half of what’s out there right now.
I guess if you like underachieving, he’s your man.
Lot of flaws on this team and the Castellano injury really hurt them. I agree with gomerhodge, he’s a middle tier manager better than most of what’s out there.
EVERY team has injuries. Name one team that didn’t have injuries. Fact is, they got owned by the Indians all year
To be fair, the Indians had a much better rotation than the Tigers.
To be fair, That Indians rotation was banged up also.
They weren’t banged up till September. You can’t blame Ausmas for his starters getting wrecked, or his hitters vanishing against CLE. The only thing a manager should ever fired for is clubhouse dissension (players love Ausmas) or just flat out terrible in game management. When you have a bullpen as thin as the Tigers (Lowe, a fading J. Wilson, and mishmash of Sanchez, Pelfrey, Hardy) he was forced to give ppl longer leashes than wanted.
If you take into consideration he managed a 3/5 rookie rotation and sailed through many key injuries, he did a fine job this year.
Good. Three young pitchers with higher innings limits and fewer injuries = 90 wins.
Then package JD and Pelfrey together and get a young OF and save $20MM to apply to a free agent.
It would be nice to have a more impressive manager, but the good ones are taken. Who would you rather have, that’s available, than Ausmus? There are not too many Impressive managers out there.
The lineup for next year is set. The rotation has depth. Keep working on the bullpen, and rework the bench except for Romine. No need to scrap Ausmus. There is such a dearth of Starting Pitching out there, perhaps they could move Anibal or Pelfrey for middling prospects, or bench bats..
Tigers need to get more athletic, with more speed. They’ve got 3 good young starting pitchers, to go with JV. Cabrera is one of the greatest hitters ever and V-Mart is a great hitter as well, but they are liabilities on the bases. Upton finally came on after a season long slump,, but it was too little too late. Injuries didn’t help them,(Castellanos, JD, and Zimmermann) and as was mentioned above, the Tribe destroyed them head to head this year. I see one more year with this current roster core, before major changes should or will be made.
How are they liabilities on the bases?? Caught Stealing? Picked offed? Making outs on bases? I don’t follow? Being slow is not a liability. Man…never knew someone could be in a season long slump and hit 30hrs.
You know they measure that these days, right?
Yea… the nerds have measurements for everything. They’re measurements helped get A Cubs player 180mil Juss for playing Defense.
How do you evaluate a player’s value, eating their baseball cards?
Nah, that’s how evaluate your mom.
I’m no match for your razor-sharp wit, you win
You started with the insults. I’m just playing the game
I actually asked you a question halfway expecting you might elaborate a little bit on how you measure a player’s value if speed and defense don’t matter and analytics is a bunch of bull made up by geeks like Theo Epstein who don’t know how to construct a winning roster. So what do you do?
Listen to Harold Reynolds?
Eat baseball cards?
First of all, please show me where I said speed/defense didn’t matter. From the numbers this year, what would you call Heyward, other than a 180mil defensive specialist??
The nerds also put together the best team in baseball after being it one of the worst just a few short years ago. Same nerds also put together several WS teams in Boston. Heyward is having a down year and not playing to his salary, but still a little early to be calling ti quits on him already.
C’mon man! Boston?? Check the Payroll on those teams. You saying the nerds are responsible for the Cubs also? Check that payroll also. I know Heyward is having a “Down” year, but all of those star guys convinced the industry that Heyward is better than Cespedes, Upton. Hey, I guess the “New” stats say different.
When you make statements like “being slow is not a liability” the onus is kind of on you to back it up. When you make statements like you just did about Heyward, obviously you’re making a point about stats like WAR valuing defense.
Keep trying.
Victor’s average is empty. If he doesn’t hit it out or to the wall, he can’t do anything. How many of his hits that contributed to his average were garbage hits with no one on? Bc if victor gets on without knocking anyone in, he’s dead weight
So there’s a category for dead weight, GARBAGE hits now? Man, I’m learning all kinds of useable knowledge on thread
No category, just simple observation. A single for a guy like victor who can’t run to first shouldn’t scare any opposing pitcher. Almost like pitching with no one on. If he had any speed, there would be shifting, alignments, pitch selection changes, etc…since he offers zero to anything but hitting, his stats are misleading, especially when compared to other hitters in different circumstances. Can’t just look at surface stats.
Brad has done a super job as Manager. He has kept the time as successful as they have been. Next year will be even better!
I think it’s the right decision, who are they going to get that is really any better if they were to fire him? He did a good job with 3/5 of his rotation being rookies, and he managed his bullpen much better than in the past.
Ausmus can’t control the starting third baseman, right fielder, center fielder, and shortstop from being on the DL for at least a month. The fact they did this well is amazing
The Indians lost starting 3B Juan Uribe, LF Michael Brantley, RF Marlin Byrd and SP Danny Salazar as well as C Yan Gomes and Carlos Carrasco for part of the year. Unlike Brad Ausmus, Terry Francona moved players around vs keep using ineffective subs Mike Aviles and Andrew Romine. He also replaced pitchers such as Cory Anderson, Mike Clevenger and Austin Adams before they lost too many games. Again, unlike Ausmus who vs marche out Mike Pelfrey, Anibal Sanchez, Mark Lowe and Shane Greene and habitually lost the games.. and didn’t know why.
The list is longer for the O’s, Red Sox, Rangers, Mets, Dodgers and Giants.
So, were the Tigers really lucky to win as many games as they did with so many roster issues?
Never seen sooo many excuses made for about injuries, when every team has them.
Who should they have hired as manager, if they would have fired Ausmus? Is there someone who’s actually available that would be better?
Someone who won’t call up to Jim Leyland and ask what he would do… Try Gene Lamont or Bud Black.
Gene Lamont? Are you serious?
I think a fine move by AA. Don’t want Ron Washington, and Atlanta thinks he’s the best available. Hey, what are the chances AA sells high on Verlander? The Dodgers might give up a boatload of their young talent?