Detroit Tigers: Five candidates to replace Brad Ausmus

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila and the team announced Friday afternoon that the Tigers would not extend manager Brad Ausmus‘ contract past the 2017 season.

The Detroit Tigers have officially announced on Twitter and in a press conference that manager Brad Ausmus will not be back for the 2018 season.

Ausmus, who was hired by former general manager and president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, in 2014, has led his team to their third straight season out of the playoffs.

With the Tigers having not seen any post season action since 2014 despite having one of the highest payrolls in baseball, this move was long overdue.

Now that the organization will have a vacant role, here are some potential candidates that could fill the void.

Omar Vizquel

Omar Vizquel was hired in as the Tigers’ first base coach in 2014, after a 24-year MLB career in which he won 11 Gold Glove awards.

Vizquel has been with the organization for four seasons now, and may look to move up the coaching ladder

The Tigers’ first base coach got his first look as a manager in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, leading team Venezuela to the World Baseball Classic quarter finals.

Vizquel has a high energy level and seems comfortable in Detroit. Look for him to be a prime candidate to sit in the manager’s seat in 2018.

Ron Gardenhire

Ron Gardenhire managed the Minnesota Twins from 2002 through 2014, taking them to the post season six times and turned in a winning percentage of .507 over that span.

Gardenhire is known for his ability to run a good bullpen, an area in which the Tigers have been struggling with for years. Gardenhire also knows the American League Central Division quite well, as he has managed in it for 13 seasons.

On paper, Gardenhire would be a perfect fit.

Though he hasn’t managed since 2014, the current Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach could conceivably look to return to the skipper’s chair should he get an offer from the Tigers organization.

Terry Collins

According to the New York Post, Mets’ manager Terry Collins is not expected to return after a seven season stint with the team.

Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez

Long time fan favorite Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez is currently working out of the front office for the Texas Rangers organization and has no real coaching experience.

But with that being said, the Tiger’s hired Brad Ausmus out of the San Diego Padres front office with no coaching experience, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the club were to go the same route.

Pudge, who was a large part of the Tigers’ World Series appearance in 2006, was known for his leadership ability on the field and in the club house.

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Every Tigers fan would love to see the long time fan favorite return to Detroit as the club house leader, but, this might be a bit of a stretch.

The Tigers will more than likely look for a seasoned coach, as their last experiment with a rookie manager did not go according to plan.

Lloyd McClendon

Tigers’ hitting coach Lloyd McClendon may be the top candidate to succeed Brad Ausmus as the Tigers manager.

The current Tigers’ hitting coach has been with the organization on and off since being hired as a bullpen coach in 2005.

Later, he was promoted to hitting coach in 2007 and held that job through the 2013 season, helping contribute to one of the more productive offenses in the American League.

McClendon already has experience as a club manager, having served two different stints as a skipper.

One for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-2004, and the other for the Seattle Mariners from 2014-2015, where he led the Mariners to their first winning season in four years in 2014.

After being let go by the Mariners, he rejoined the Tigers organization serving as the manager for Triple-A Toledo. He was then promoted the hitting coach again in 2017.

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McClendon may be the prime candidate for the position because of his familiarity with the team and the organization.

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