Tigers shut door on any AJ Hinch debate right after ALDS exit with latest news

It was a polarizing ALDS exit for the Detroit Tigers, as the Game 5 heartbreak against the Seattle Mariners left Tigers fans with questions about A.J. Hinch's decisions. At the center of the debate was Hinch's decision to pull Tarik Skubal from the game despite looking dominant, but the Tigers seemed to have delivered the final remarks. The Tigers and Hinch have agreed to a contract extension.

While the Tigers were in the middle of their September collapse, there were rumors that the two sides had already ironed out the details of a new deal. The optics of the Tigers making the announcement while the team narrowly missed a historic collapse wouldn't have been ideal. Instead, the Tigers waited until their season had concluded, confirming that Hinch isn't going anywhere.

Tigers make obvious AJ Hinch decision right after ALDS heartbreak

The Tigers do not disclose contract details for coaches or front office executives, but what's clear is that they believe they have the right manager in place. With Hinch arguably one of baseball's best managers, and this deal happening after Craig Counsell's historic contract with the Chicago Cubs and Alex Cora's extension with the Boston Red Sox, chances are the Tigers paid a pretty penny to keep him in place.

In the heat of the moment, the manager is almost certainly made the scapegoat for a team's disappointment during the playoffs. Considering some of the decisions that were made above Hinch, it's hard to be critical of the job he did with the Tigers this season. The Tigers, for most of the season, were the best team in baseball, and Hinch deserves his share of the credit.

In a scenario where Gleyber Torres wasn't playing through an injury during the closing months of the season and the bullpen was properly addressed at the deadline, perhaps Hinch would be leading the Tigers into Game 2 of the ALCS tonight. Instead, he is finalizing the details of his new deal while becoming a voice of influence throughout the entire organization.