Since losing his job as the Tigers skipper a few weeks back, Brad Ausmus has drawn quite a lot of interest from other organizations looking to replace outgoing managers. Ausmus interviewed today with the Red Sox, per Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), but has pulled out of the running for the Mets’ job, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag.
Boston recently announced that it would move on from manager John Farrell, opening one of the game’s premium posts. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski hired Ausmus to his former job in Detroit, leading to immediate speculation about a possible match.
While some believe that others are more likely to earn the position — Alex Cora, in particular, has drawn plenty of attention — there’s obvious reason to suspect that Ausmus will be strongly considered. We have been tracking the early-stage developments in Boston’s search right here.
As for the Mets’ job, it’s interesting to hear that Ausmus has pulled out of the hunt before meeting with the organization or landing elsewhere. New York was said to have real interest in Ausmus, and certainly has a talent-laden roster in spite of an undeniably rough 2017 campaign. Of course, we don’t know just what considerations Ausmus is bringing to bear on the situation; as Heyman notes, he does have particular ties to the broader area surrounding Boston, though New York is the next closest MLB city to that particular region (and is even closer to Ausmus’s hometown of New Haven, Connecticut).
In any event, that leaves New York considering a variety of alternatives. One other notable former MLB skipper that won’t be under consideration, it seems, is former White Sox manager Robin Ventura. He “does not appear to have a strong interest” in the Mets’ job, per Heyman’s report, despite being mentioned as a possible candidate previously. The team’s other candidates (including Cora) are covered in this omnibus post on the search for a Terry Collins replacement.
xabial
Poor Mets. You know it’s bad when Brad Ausmus, after his failure stint with the Tigers, doesn’t want you.
mannyl101
Can’t blame Ausmus for the mess in Detroit! Sad that people do!
oldleftylong
He did mess up in 2014 with a darned good team.
Tahoe725
So there have been no other mgrs in bballl that have had a rocky start and in next chances did extremely well…hmmm I can think of several. You judge one yr? Pls! I hope people are as judgmental as you as you are of others.
Fuck Me Bitch
Okay. I hope others are as judgmental of you as you are as judgmental of others who are judgmental!
Cardinals17
Joe Torre had a not so good start in his managing career beginning with St. Louis. Now he’s in the Hall of Fame. Not that I think Ausmus will be a Hall of Famer anytime soon, but just an example. Seems to me, with aging veterans, injuries, and poor support from his front office of replacing those aging, aching veterans with young stars because of the veterans huge salary contracts, he’s done a pretty good job. Mathaney is another manager who may do well in another organization. Right now, the deck is stacked against him with the Cardinals players, the fans etc. he is the fall guy for the now president of baseball operations (Mozeliak) and the owners ineptness to see that John Mozeliak’s a person that is blind to a players actual talents……an example is 9 recently former Cardinals players were/are in the playoffs with other teams this year. The glaring example is Jon Jay. Cardinals got rid of him. Currently hitting .300 for the Cubs in a leadoff position and a much higher fielding percentage than Dexter Fowler, who was given an outrages contract at his age, of 4 years / $84. Something is wrong in Denmark with that thinking. Same goes for Detroit’s front office. Ausmus is their fall guy!!!!!
Cardinals17
Excuse me…..5 year contract. Still horrible!!!!
truthlemonade
Is it kind of rude for Ausmus to publicly spurn the Mets? I admit I am not sure how that info became public. It seems to me that it does not serve Ausmus to advertise his pickiness.
start_wearing_purple
It doesn’t say Ausmus publicly spurned the Mets. All that’s said is Heyman says Ausmus didn’t want to interview with the Mets, nothing more.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
What’s wrong with Ausmus being honest? Perhaps they asked him, when is his Mets interview? Then he answered honestly and said he won’t be interviewing with the Mets.
oldleftylong
Who does want to manage the Mets?
mikeyank55
Good question.
Actually there’s one guy been self promoting. He’s been using all of his saber statistics and intimate knowledge of the game that is based upon pure speculation.
Goat
Tahoe725
He didn’t publicize it-he told the team and sources leaked. He w/ drew from the Astor’s mgr job in 2012 and it didn’t hurt him and Stros were his former team
Nnnjjjjjhhjj
Not sure why anyone would be picky unless you were headed to the hall-there are only 30 of those jobs in existence-even the worst situation is an elite opportunity. He hasn’t developed enough of a track record to spurn any opportunity. If it’s something personal-that would be entirely different. Who knows what’s going on with him personally, family etc. maybe he’s spurned it for more important things?
Caught Looking
He must believe he has a pretty good shot at the other three current openings that he doesn’t need to interview with the Wilpons.
theroyal19
When you’ve played the game for long enough and already managed for multiple years to have enough money in the bank to live, why would you not be picky and only take what you want to do?
Nnnjjjjjhhjj
Playing experience doesn’t translate well into a managing resume when your managing experience is shaky at best. (Robin Young just to mention one) I guess you’re correct in choosing which headaches you want, but if you’re looking at a long term career as manager, I wouldn’t pass up opportunities just because. Those close pretty fast. Money is irrelevant either way for him.
Mark from CT
Perhaps because he doesn’t want to jump into the dumpster fire that is the Wilpon-owned Mets? Look at how the last 3,4 or even 5 managerial changes have been handled. The Wilpons are small-market owners in MLB’s biggest city.
mike156
Just throwing this out there for people. Do they think managerial slots in Boston or New York, or other intense markets are really “premium”? Yes , there’s more in the way of resources, but there’s a lot extra you have to deal with in those locales
WalkersDayOff
Thats true. Both those markets have un realistic expectations of winning. Especially the Mets. Red sox are a little better but are not even close to the top teams in the AL
Bruin1012
What are you talking about the Red Sox won the AL East made the playoffs the second year in a row. Anything can happen when you make the playoffs to say they aren’t anywhere close to the best teams in the AL is correct they are one of the best teams in the AL.
WalkersDayOff
Have you seen how pathetic the Red Sox have looked in the playoffs the past 2 years? They are a well above average team i will give you that but they cant hold a candle to the Indians or Astros. Possibly even the Yankees in a playoff series. The Boston media lead by Tony Maserati and Nick Cafardo has some delousional idea that the Red Sox are actually a World Series contender. Hence why i said its unfair to managers. Their team couldn’t hold a candle to the Astros or Indians and we all know it
Bruin1012
If you make the playoffs you have a chance. The Red Sox made the playoffs get hot at the right time and any team that makes the playoffs can win. Houston didn’t even make the playoffs last year. It sucks that the Red Sox played poorly in the last two years and lost in the first round but this Red Sox team is good are they good enough to win the World Series yes probably if they get hot at the right time. The Red Sox will be fine they will be battling again next year and if they get hot at the right time can win it all. A lot has to go right for a team to win the World Series.
water boy
You state your opinion like it’s fact. Plus you make yourself spokesmen for whomever we are.
The Sox have a good young nucleus of everyday players, starting pitching that should have been much better than it was and a very good bullpen.
If the get even average to slightly above average performance from 50% of their players and remain relatively healthy they can compete with anyone.
And that is my opinion….
jh8913
Yea the Red Sox just don’t look like a good team
oldleftylong
The Bosox did stick it to a much better Tigers team in 2013.
GoldenJabs
Because didn’t have a good mgr
Willy
It takes a H*ll of a lot more than getting “hot”, this isn’t football with limited Playoff games or Hockey where a Goalie can carry a team, it’s baseball, a completely different animal. You can be hot as h*ll and still lose, you can win 20+ regular season games in a row and still lose. I seem to remember a Colorado Rockies team that was hotter than a pistol that the Red Sox extinguished.
It takes good coaching, good timing for the hitters and typically solid to superior pitching from some guys to win a Championship. If it were only about being the hot team than every Manager in baseball would try to get their team “hot” just as they entered the Playoffs.
Willy
Especially the Mets? What? Have you no knowledge of Boston? Expectations don’t get any higher than they are for the Red Sox.
User 4245925809
To be fair. Boston has won 3 WS titles since ’04 and the eastern crown the last 2 seasons, so the team does has a recent history of doing whatever it takes of winning other than 2 seasons regardless of a lousy media presence in the city.
Ully
Asmus would be a better fit in Boston than NY. His old school approach would be better for the club that is older and just made the playoffs.
Mark from CT
We’ll see how his old school approach works with the person who is really in charge of the Mets, $230 million headcase David Price.
thegreatcerealfamine
Yessss….
Ry.the.Stunner
David Price is in charge of the Mets?
Willy
WHAT? The Red Sox are one of the younger teams out there, what are you talking about?
oldleftylong
Ausmus will be a great fit with the Bosox.
xabial
I think Ausmus managing career is already on life support as it is, after his tenure in Detroit. I read many fans said he probably learned from that tenure and could be a better manager, learning drom his mistakes, if given another opportunity. With that being said, however, people need to realize—
Getting thrown into the fire, that is the NY Mets could effectively end Ausmus managing career should he yield the same results managing the Mets, as the Tigers. He can’t afford to not be picky in this situation.
His managing career in Detroit didn’t exactly end on a high note, and the NY Mets organization, aren’t exactly the epitome of stability at the moment.
Caught Looking
Lot of similarities there to what was said about Francona when he was canned in Philly.
davbee
Or A J Hinch in Arizona.
stymeedone
While the team lagged in the standings, I would not say that Ausmus left on a bad note. It is rare that a manager, who is not returning, finishes the season. Detroit let him stay through the end. Even Dombrowski wasn’t given that option. Once the Tigers chose to rebuild, I suspect Ausmus had little interest in staying. I feel the departure was cordial, and mutual.
Tahoe725
Yes it was mutual and he didn’t plan on returning regardless
vinscully16
No thanks on Ausmus. Hire Gardenhire.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
I think it’s a given that the hire will be Ausmus or Gardenhire.
I don’t think Alex Cora gets the job this time.
Dombrowski hinted that experience was necessary this time.
redsox 1976
Why not Cora? I think Gardenhire is old for boston roster! You see Lovullo in Arizona! Roberts in L.A
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
Only because Dombrowski said experience is what he’s looking for this time.
Willy
You obviously didn’t watch the press conference And Cora is being labeled the leading candidate.
GaryWarriorsRedSoxx
We’ll see who gets “hired.”
Tahoe725
Cora is being touted as every team leading candidate as well as the Second Coming. They are setting this guy up to be an epic fail in the media as are fans. No one knows what his skills will be. You don’t know til the are out there
oldleftylong
Gardenhire. Now that’s really old school.
billysbballz
What what
thegreatcerealfamine
Where the hell have you been?
Tahoe725
Brad learned from his Tiger experience and the Mets situation is s little too close for comfort. He has the experience to be picky this time and make an educated decision. He may be just as happy to sit the year out normally but he has lot of emotional ties to the Sox and they may be his exception
leftykoufax
I like Kepler or Gardenhire over Ausmus.
kingman1
This guy has bombed out with two other teams. Seriously. We’re not talking Terry Francona or Earl Weaver here.
tomjoadsghost
The writer insults our intelligence by not stating why potential managers would steer clear of the Mets. Ownership is a mess, paying off Madoff loss was more important than winning. Front office dysfunction that includes odd trainer issues. The question is why would anyone choose the job over any other premium managerial gig available.
tigerdoc616
Don’t blame Ausmus at all for turning down the Mets. They called me as well, and I said no 😉
redsoxrob9418
Domed to repeat when you make the same choices dumbo is going to destroy the Sox for years to come bye the time he’s done doesn’t the ownership see that, we were missing a bat or two…. now we are missing a manager and sounds like the entire staff…. good luck rebounding now, but wait a new manager will deserve at least a couple years before blame can be placed elsewhere so stupid how some people think 41 years as a Sox fan this has to be one of the top f ups
Willy
I think you need to do more research on Dombrowski. He is one of the most respected men in baseball, you don’t get that title by being some hack or idiot. Everywhere he has been or gone he has improved his teams, just because they end up a certain way after time is a matter of going past their “Window”. Every team that is building toward a Championship has a window, just the way it is. The Expos had good teams, the Marlins had good teams, the Tigers had good, even great teams that just fell short, now he’s had 2 1st place finishes with the Red Sox, who by the way are still within their window, so a Championship could come their way with the right Manager and a couple of added pieces, like Power hitters. Perhaps you’re a bitter Tigers fan, too bad about that but putting all the blame on Dombrowski and basically calling him awful or an idiot is way way off base.
Patrick OKennedy
Don’t be surprised if Ausmus winds up with a front office job with the Red Sox, if he is not hired as their manager. Dombrowski likes Brad’s smarts and said he was blown away in his interview for the Tigers’ managerial job.
top jimmy
Does Ausmus lack of interest in the Mets have something to do with Cespedes time in Detroit?
Tahoe725
Doubt it. brad doesn’t seem to be the type to avoid something if he wants it