Mets interested in former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus

While we all know that the Detroit Tigers are in need of a manager for the 2018 season and beyond, they’re not the only team searching for a new skipper. The New York Mets are another such team after parting ways with Terry Collins. As it turns out, they’re interested in former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported Sunday that the Mets are looking at Ausmus to replace Collins, who retired after the 2017 season.

As you know, Ausmus began his managerial career with the Tigers starting in 2014. He managed the Tigers for four seasons, compiling a record of 314-332 for a win percentage of .486. His team finished first in the American League Central division in 2014, fifth in 2015 and 2017, and second in 2016.

The Dartmouth alumnus is younger and more analytically inclined than some managerial candidates. On the other hand, Collins is an older, experienced type of manager, and after seven years of him, the Mets may want to change direction entirely. As Heyman pointed out, Ausmus is almost 180 degrees from Collins in terms of similarity — their managerial styles have next to nothing in common.

Collins is a Midland, Michigan native who attended Eastern Michigan University from 1968 to 1971. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent 10 seasons playing minor league ball. He never played in the majors, but his managerial career dates all the way back to 1993 when he managed the Houston Astros. He has a win-loss record of 995-1,017 for a percentage of .495 over 13 seasons managing in MLB. Collins spent the last seven seasons in New York with the Mets before resigning at the end of this season. No one has ever managed the Mets as long as Collins did.

The Mets, like the Tigers, will be picking their next manager from a large pool of names. And Ausmus may or may not want to take a job on the opposite coast from his family. Thus far, the two sides have only had one discussion regarding the position. Surely the Mets aren’t the only team considering Ausmus, so it will be interesting to see where he lands next season.