Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch lost two assistant coaches to head coaching jobs at their alma maters last season: third base coach Chip Hale to Arizona and assistant hitting coach Jose Cruz Jr. to Rice.
A third assistant, pitching coach Chris Fetter, could be the top candidate to take over as Michigan’s head coach, after longtime head coach Erik Bakich has reportedly departed for Clemson. Another candidate could be Central Michigan head coach Jordan Bischel.
“I’m not surprised that the rumors have started,” Hinch said Wednesday. “From what I understand, there’s been no contact or anything like that yet. We love Fett. He’s very talented. He can do anything at this level or certainly the college level. We have to do everything we can to keep him.”
Fetter played for Michigan and graduated in 2009. The 36-year-old, who lives in Ann Arbor, returned to the Wolverines as the pitching coach in July 2017 and stayed for three seasons.
In November 2020, Hinch hired Fetter as the Tigers’ pitching coach.
“He’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Hinch said. “He needs to coach in this area, it just needs to be with the Tigers. We want him to stay here. I have no idea what is ahead. He’s very happy here. He and I have known each other a long time. I know him really well. He’s fully focused here.”
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Hinch would not say if Fetter has expressed interest in becoming Michigan’s head coach. Fetter worked as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor-league pitching coordinator before serving as Michigan’s pitching coach.
This season, the Tigers’ pitching staff has a 3.81 ERA, which ranks 12th in MLB. The rotation — without four of its top five starters — ranks 23rd with a 4.49 ERA, and the bullpen ranks fifth with a 2.97 ERA.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal ranks second among MLB pitchers with a 2.4 fWAR and is an early American League Cy Young candidate. The 25-year-old has a 2.71 ERA with 12 walks and 75 strikeouts across 69⅔ innings in 12 starts.
“I’m not losing another coach right now,” Hinch said. “It’s going down a path of like, Fett’s in a good spot if he’s sitting right next to me. He’s completely happy. I appreciate everybody’s interest in him, but that’s all I know.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.