Tigers reportedly interested in former Phillies GM Ruben Amaro as manager

By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor

Ruben Amaro isn't going to be the Philadelphia Phillies manager in 2018. But that doesn't mean he won't get his first shot at managing elsewhere. 

According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Detroit Tigers, who parted ways with potential Phillies candidate Brad Ausmus at the conclusion of the 2017 season, are interested in former Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. for their managerial vacancy: 

Ruben Amaro, the former Philadelphia Phillies GM who’s been Boston’s first-base coach the last two years, is on the Detroit Tigers list of managerial candidates, sources say.

Still just 52, Amaro has served as John Farrell's bench coach for two years in Boston. With the Red Sox firing Farrell earlier this week, Amaro may or may not be asked to return to Boston next year. In his brief time in Boston, he did get a chance to work with Farrell and highly-touted Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. He also, of course, spent over a decade working with Charlie Manuel and Pat Gillick in different capacities. So he's been around some pretty good baseball people. 

Gillick, along with fellow Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, both said shortly after Amaro transitioned into coaching that they believed he could eventually be an effective manager. (La Russa and Amaro do share an agent, for what it's worth.)

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With the Tigers trading Justin Verlander and J.D. Martinez this summer – along with Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez declining and still being paid a steep price – the Tigers appear headed for some lean years. Amaro would have his work cut out with the Tigers, who posted the league's worst record in 2017. 

Though Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe connected Amaro to the Phillies managerial opening last weekend, that seems extremely unlikely. SportsTalkPhilly's Frank Klose, Heyman, Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice and MLB.com's Todd Zolecki are among those to note in recent days that the Phillies do not plan to hire Amaro as manager.