Detroit Tigers to Interview Brad Ausmus and Rick Renteria for Manager Position

Apr 28, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres bench coach Rick Renteria prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report by CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the Tigers have plans to interview two members of the San Diego Padres organization for the open managerial position.

"The Tigers plan to interview Padres executive Brad Ausmus and Padres bench coach Rick Renteria for their managerial opening, bringing to four the known candidates for the coveted job to replace legendary manager Jim Leyland, sources familiar with the situation told CBSSports.com."

Renteria, currently the Padres bench coach, has been a hot name this offseason. He’s already interviewed for manager positions with the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, and he’s one of a few candidates who are scheduled for a second interview with Chicago. The Cubs job would be a fine job, but the Tigers, with their win-now roster, would appear to have an advantage over most other teams. Would you like to manage as part of a rebuilding project, or would you like to manage in the postseason in year one?

Ausmus, currently a Padres special assistant, doesn’t have managerial experience besides managing Team Israel through WBC qualification games, but he’s been brought up in connection with the Tigers job since the day it opened up. The former Tigers catcher reportedly flew into Detroit on Sunday, so his interview could be as soon as today.

It’s hard to know whether the lack of managerial experience will hurt these two gentlemen when it comes time for the Tigers to make a decision, but new names seem more intriguing to me than some sort of short-term retread. Maybe because it’s that we haven’t yet see them fail, but maybe it’s also that my perception is that managers new to the job would be more open to the newer forms of statistical analysis.

Either way, it will be interesting to find out whether the Tigers are looking for a one or two year fix, or if they’re looking for a manager who can grow with the inevitable second wave of the team as they learn how to win without an ever expanding payroll.