Detroit – Tigers manager AJ Hinch has never discussed his contract. Not when he was first hired three years ago, not when he was asked directly during the 2022 season, not unofficially, ever.
“I’m not going to talk about any contracts,” Hinch said when confronted in 2022. “I don’t need to. I’m the manager of the Tigers. They signed me here a long time ago. I feel good here.”
National baseball writer Ken Rosenthal reported at the time that Hinch’s contract would run through 2025. Neither Hinch, his agent nor the Tigers have ever confirmed or denied this.
So why are we talking about it now? For Hinch on Friday, speaking as a guest on the Foul Territory podcast, indicated that his tenure with the Tigers could very well extend beyond the 2025 season.
Erik Kratz, a retired big league catcher who hosted the show with fellow former big leaguer Todd Frazier and broadcaster Scott Braun, asked Hinch if he expected to receive his 1,000th managerial victory with the Tigers.
Hinch, who has 791 victories, did not hesitate.
“Yes,” he said. “One hundred percent.”
So unless the Tigers find a way to win 209 games over the next two years, he has no plans to leave after the 2025 season.
“I love hearing that,” Kratz said. “To me, how confidently you said that. That doesn’t mean, “Oh, we’re going to win the World Series this year.” That means continuity for your players, for the front office, for the fan base. All of this matters in an age where all we talk about every day is who’s going to go here and who’s going to go there.
“The Tigers have a strong base at the managerial position.”
Hinch replied: “I’m lucky to be here. I like what I do. I love the people I work with… These jobs are amazing when you can get the ball rolling a little bit and start surrounding yourself with the right people and building the right culture.
Earlier in the podcast, Frazier asked Hinch if he still wondered what might have happened if the Chicago White Sox had pursued him instead of Tony LaRussa before the 2021 season. Hinch joked about the whole thing. he still gets media attention on this topic when the Tigers play in Chicago, but no, he likes the way things turned out.
“I couldn’t be happier in Detroit,” Hinch said. “When you go to a place and you start developing relationships and you start putting your fingerprints on it, you bring in coaches – I have a new boss structure now with Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg – the places starting to feel like home. .
“That’s how Detroit feels to me. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Coach Updates
Hinch also said on Foul Territory that he tried, several times, to bring Kratz onto his coaching staff. Kratz, who retired after the 2020 season, said he is still committed to being with his family, although he has not ruled out coaching in the future.
The Tigers currently have an opening on the big league staff for a wide receivers coach. During the last coaching shuffle, Tim Federowiczwho coached the catchers last season, was named the new manager of Triple-A Toledo.
He replaces Anthony Iapocéthat Hinch brings to the Tigers as first base coach. Joey Cora was hired last month and will serve as third base coach and on-field coach. Gary Joneswho coached third base last season, will coach the outfielders and be in the dugout during games.
Hinch is also still in the process of hiring an assistant hitting coach to replace James Rowsonwho was hired by the Yankees.
@cmccosky
