Both the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds are vastly underachieving this year and a lot of that could be attributed to injury troubles. However, that doesn't mean each organization isn't considering making changes after the season.
According to the latest rumors, Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus and Reds' manager Bryan Price could be in danger of losing their jobs after the 2015 MLB season. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has the latest.
"Manager Brad Ausmus' job appears to be in real jeopardy after the Tigers, who were predicted by most to win the AL Central, recently fell into last place," Heyman writes.
"Ausmus' chances to survive may have taken a hit when longtime Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski, who hired him, was released from his contract. (That also was an indication of just how unhappy the team-owning Ilitches are)."
The Tigers have one of the worst starting rotations in the MLB. The team traded away David Price after their offseason acquisitions (Alfredo Simon and Shane Greene) failed to produce effectively while Justin Verlander missed the first two months of the year. Anibal Sanchez is also in the midst of a career-worst season.
Additionally, they dealt with injuries to Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
As for Price ...
"Reds manager Bryan Price's job status looks extremely tenuous, to the point where few expect him to make it to next year," Heyman added.
"Barry Larkin, the Hall of Fame shortstop, has been rumored to be the most likely successor. The team has underperformed, and Price isn't getting high marks for strategy, either."
Neither of these potential firings comes as a surprise. Ever since Dombrowski left the Tigers and joined the Red Sox it was speculated Avila would be making significant changes after the season, even after Dombrowski acquired five top pitching prospects at the trade deadline. Avila didn't entirely give Ausmus a vote of confidence regarding his future beyond 2015.
As for Price, he hasn't had much luck since taking over before the 2014 season. Cincinnati has experienced countless injuries since Price came on as the team's skipper and he hasn't been in a favorable position. Power hitters Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce missed a lot of time in 2014, which significantly affected their offense. In 2015, the club lost Devin Mesoraco, Zack Cosart and Homer Bailey to season-ending injuries and witnessed key contributors to their starting rotation last season (Alfredo Simon, Mat Latos, Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto) depart in trades after the previously mentioned injuries kept them out of contention in the super competitive NL Central.
The Tigers and Reds both sit in last place in their respective divisions and both of their managers are signed through 2016. However, significant changes could be on the way, leaving Ausmus and Price as the immediate casualties.
