Report: Tigers to exercise Ausmus' 2017 option
Less than 72 hours after the Detroit Tigers were eliminated from postseason contention, the club has reportedly decided to exercise its option on manager Brad Ausmus.
Ausmus will be back as the Tigers skipper next season, a source told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, and an announcement from the club is expected soon. During his three seasons at the helm, the 47-year-old Ausmus has compiled a 250-234 record, claiming a division title in 2013 and overseeing a 12-win improvement this past season.
Despite bouncing back from Detroit's last-place finish in 2015, Ausmus' job appeared in jeopardy after the club was eliminated from the wild-card chase on the final day of the season. The big-spending Tigers entered the 2016 campaign with high expectations after committing more than $200 million to free agents Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann, but were plagued by inconsistency and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
Following the Tigers' loss to Atlanta on Sunday, Ausmus was asked whether he thought general manager Al Avila would make a change in the dugout.
''If Al thinks he would rather have someone else, I would respect his decision," Ausmus said. "If Al would like me to do it, I would love to do it."