Detroit Tigers will most likely have a manager with a World Series resume next MLB season. Even if that resume is blemished.
According to ESPN’s Buster Onley, the Tigers are expected to hire former Houston Astros’ manager AJ Hinch. The two sides are reportedly progressing well towards an agreement, although the final deal hasn’t been finalized yet.
This will be a return to MLB for Hinch after a one-year absence. He spent 2020 serving a suspension for his role in a sign-stealing scandal during Astros’ World Series-winning season in 2017.
Hinch was found guilty, alongside several other members of coaching staff and organization, for using technological aids to steal signs of opposing teams.
Tigers found themselves needing a manager after Ron Gardenhire surprisingly decided to retire towards the end of the 2020 MLB season. AJ Hinch was considered the favorite for the job despite the controversy surrounding him, while the organization reportedly gave ex-Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora a look as well. Cora was also suspended for his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, having served on the team’s coaching staff during that period.
Hinch, who has a winning record (570-452) as a manager, will be tasked with turning around an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs in the past six years. Tigers finished 2020 last in AL Central for the second consecutive time, posting a 23-35 record in a shortened MLB season.
