Tiger Manager Brad Ausmus Will Return Next Season

It was a nail-biter for Tiger's Manager Brad Ausmus and his fans, but the Tigers have made their decision and he'll be back next season, despite the team missing the playoffs for a second straight season.  The Tigers have a veteran  ball club, and the fourth highest payroll in all of baseball.

The Tigers today announced that they have exercised the 2017 club option Ausmus' contract.

"Brad was instrumental in leading the team through adversity and with the development of our younger players, particularly the young starting pitchers," said Executive Vice President and General Manager Al Avila. The team improved from last season, and under the leadership of Brad and his coaching staff, the ballclub kept fighting, and remained in contention for the postseason. Moving forward we want to build off that progress."

Ausmus, who recently completed his third season as the Tigers manager, has compiled a 250-234 (.517) record as the Tigers skipper. Ausmus led the Tigers to an 86-75 record in 2016, a 12-win improvement from 2015. Detroit’s 12-win improvement from 2015 was tied for the third best among all major league clubs.

In his rookie season as the Tigers manager in 2014, Ausmus led the Tigers to a 90-72 record and an AL Central Division title. He became the fourth manager in franchise history to lead the team to a postseason berth in their first season, joining Hughie Jennings (1907), Mickey Cochrane (1934) and Jim Leyland (2006).

Ausmus, who spent 18 seasons as a catcher at the major league level and made eight postseason appearances as a player, was named the 37^th manager in Tigers history on November 3, 2013.