Report: Tigers, Gardenhire agree to 3-year deal

Ron Gardenhire has agreed to a three-year deal to become the next manager of the Detroit Tigers, sources confirmed to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The hire could be made official as early as Friday.

The Tigers interviewed 10 candidates throughout their search, a group that included Houston Astros bench coach Alex Cora, Miami Marlins third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez, and Chicago White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing, to name a few.

Gardenhire will replace Brad Ausmus after the Tigers opted against renewing his contract at the conclusion of the 2017 season. The veteran bench boss was also considered by the Boston Red Sox for their managerial vacancy.

The soon-to-be 60-year-old spent the past season as bench coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Prior to that, Gardenhire managed the Minnesota Twins from 2002-14, guiding the organization to six postseason appearances. He's recognized as the winningest manager in Twins history, and is one of only 10 managers to win over 1,000 games with one team.