The Tigers are one of several clubs still hunting for new management this October, and FanRag Sports’ John Perrotto reports that Marlins’ third base coach Fredi Gonzalez is the favorite for the job.
Gonzalez, 53, is coming off of his first year with the Marlins since 2010, when he was abruptly fired in mid-June after 3+ seasons as club manager. He compiled a 276-279 record in that span, guiding Miami to back-to-back winning records in 2008 and 2009 but failing to net a single postseason appearance.
In 2011, he filled another managerial vacancy for the Braves. He facilitated two 90+ win seasons in 2012 and 2013 and earned his first postseason win during the 2013 Braves’ NLDS run, but was later booted from the position after kicking off the 2016 season with an abysmal 9-28 record.
Despite the ups and downs Gonzalez has weathered over the last decade, his proven managerial experience and long-held ties to general manager Al Avila and Miguel Cabrera give him something of an edge over the rest of the Tigers’ candidates. Over the last several weeks, the team has also been linked to Astros’ bench coach Alex Cora, White Sox’ third base coach Joe McEwing and a handful of internal options, including former MLB manager Lloyd McClendon and base coaches Omar Vizquel and Dave Clark.
