So Brad Ausmus gets another year. Mostly because he managed a team that surpassed expectations, however slightly.
If the Detroit Tigers had begun the year as World Series favorites, or even as the team to beat in the Central Division, then we aren’t having this conversation.
And Ausmus is looking for a job.
But that’s not the team he had back in Lakeland, Fla in spring training. Certainly not the team he had when the season began, down its centerfielder and No. 5 starter. As Tigers general manager Al Avila pointed out Wednesday, injuries matter.
We saw the difference centerfielder Cameron Maybin made when he entered the lineup in mid-May.