The Detroit Tigers are going to need to hire a new manager, here’s a look at three possible candidates to hire for the job.
The Detroit Tigers recently saw their manager for the last three years, Ron Gardenhire, step away from the game of baseball. Given his health situation, Gardenhire deemed that it was best for him to step away from the organization and retire as manager.
The managerial duties were handed over to Lloyd McClendon who is finishing out the seasons remaining game as manager. Gardenhire spent three years with the Tigers organization, pressing on as manager through a rebuild that has been tasking, but now the organization will have to find a new manager.
There are plenty of candidates, some familiar names, some not so familiar, but the Tigers need to ensure that they are bringing in a manager who can actively manage the young talent and will stick around.
It became apparent in 2020 that the young kids are finally going to get their chances in the big leagues. Even if it is just a start, it is a step towards trying to become a competing team once again.
The most monumental call-up of this season has been Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Isaac Paredes which Avila announced earlier in the 60-game sprint. Beyond that, the Tigers have still called up a plethora of prospects offering them a chance to get work in the big leagues.
In a season where there is no minor league baseball, just an alternate training site where players are working out, throwing, hitting, going about their development, this was crucial. No Single-A, Double-A, or Triple-A games for prospects to get work in at makes it tough.
The Tigers managed around that and Gardenhire was able to use one of his best skillsets to help the Tigers organization. Managing these kids, Gardenhire’s experience in Minnesota with the Twins organization allowed him to have this success.
Without a doubt, the Tigers will need to go out and hire a candidate who has similar skills and will work well with these younger players as they break into the big leagues. At a minimum, the coach needs to be one who will stick around and see through the end of this rebuild.
The hope remains that this will be an exciting team when all is said and done the Tigers will be fielding a contender, and hopefully, get back to the postseason and ultimately World Series.
The Detroit Tigers could stick with the in-house candidate and look to current third-base coach Ramon Santiago to take over as manager.
Currently, McClendon is running the show as a manager, but Ramón Santiago has played a role in shaping up this current Tigers team for success, not only in 2020 but beyond. He does not have any managerial experience yet, but that’s okay.
The Tigers could promote from within, hire Santiago, and give him a chance to work through the rebuild as the coach of the future. This is kind of the wild card scenario, not knowing precisely what you will be getting out of the 41-year old Santiago.
He works well the prospects/youth of the organization; he has done an excellent job working to better the fielding and defensive game with these young players in 2020 during Summer Camp and the season.
Gardenhire’s ability to work with the youth of the organization hopefully will have rubbed off onto Santiago, who seems to have a passion for helping the rookies get acclimated in positions all over the field.
A former infielder, mostly shortstop and second baseman (also some third base time), works with these guys and being fluid and reliable defenders. While the defense is just one aspect of the game, it establishes relationships with the players.
He may not have a proven track record or even be someone who teams are looking to bring in this offseason to manage. Still, if the Tigers wanted to go on a two or three-year contract with the hopes that by year three, Santiago can settle in, this would work quite well for the organization.
He is someone to keep in mind when the Tigers conduct interviews this offseason trying to find the best manager for the job.
The Detroit Tigers could explore bringing A.J. Hinch back into managing after sitting out for his involvement in the sign-stealing scandal that served him a one-year suspension.
Anyone who has been blinded by the chaos that 2020 has brought about, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal is still there and still very real. But, what if the Detroit Tigers poached the former Astros manager?
Bringing in A.J. Hinch to manage this team does not sound like a half-bad idea. Hinch has seven years of managerial experience, two with the Arizona Diamondbacks and five with the Astros.
His time with the Astros has seen Hinch become a prominent manager name in the big leagues before his one-year suspension. In his first two seasons, he took the Astros to a second and third place divisional finish, respectively.
After that, its first-place finishes the rest of the way. He would reach the postseason in four out of five seasons with the Astros, winning the 2017 World Series and losing in 2019 to the Washington Nationals.
Don’t forget, Hinch, suited up for the Tigers back in his playing days, spending the 2003 season in Detroit. He may have only played 27 games, but he was a Tigers backstop nonetheless.
Even with the sign-stealing scandal in his past, Hinch is still a manager; the Tigers better have some deliberation and thought over. He could be worth the slander that might come from bringing back someone who may not have the most favorable public relations off the bat.
The Detroit Tigers really need to make a push to interview Don Kelly, he could be the guy this organization needs to be here through the remainder of the rebuild.
It has been suggested in the past, so after Gardenhire’s departure, it becomes an even more real possibility. Bringing back Don Kelly to the Detroit Tigers organization, this time as a manager, is the most intriguing move and the one to consider.
Kelly is currently serving on Derek Shelton’s staff in Pittsburgh with the Pirates after being on the coaching staff with the Houston Astros in previous years. Before that, Kelly was a scout for the Tigers, who showed that he can excel in baseball.
The former utility-player and either fan-favorite or least fan-favorite in the Motor City has interviewed for managerial positions in the past, but now might be his time for a breakthrough.
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Coming back to the organization he started with and getting his first chance to manage at the big league level is more than worth it.
Kelly is an excellent baseball mind who deserves his chance to manage, especially after gaining valuable experience on managerial staff with the Astros and now Pirates.
For a newcomer to an organization, Kelly was able to rise from scout to bench coach quickly, making the transition to bench boss would be the next step up for Kelly.
Another “inexperienced” manager might be worrisome for Tigers fans after the Brad Ausmus experience.
Bringing in Kelly would be a gamble, but it is not as risky as it seems; he is a coach who made a rapid ascent and likely would find his stride quickly.
While these are all assumptions, a quick rise from scout to bench coach, and the way former colleagues talk about his eye for the game, it seems like it backs this up.
Time will tell, who knows, Kelly could end up being a disaster and result in a two-year tenure before getting fired, but being optimistic, he may be the answer to get the Tigers through the end of the rebuild.
Ultimately, isn’t that the goal? Getting the Detroit Tigers through the painstaking rebuild to a point where they are competitive once again would be a dream come true.