DETROIT -- When it came time for Tigers general manager Al Avila to determine the future of Brad Ausmus, he gave the manager a thumbs up. Avila, who's been on the job for two months after taking over for his longtime boss Dave Dombrowski in August, explained the move in a statement on the final Saturday of the regular season. On Thursday, in a media session to review the entire year, the new GM explained his reasoning.
First of all, Avila said the decision was "in my mind 24/7" after saying, when he took the job, that Ausmus would be retained through the end of the season.