Kirk Gibson will remain as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks despite a job opening in his hometown of Detroit.
"I had a conversation with him first thing this morning," Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said. "My first inclination was to say I would not grant permission (for the Tigers to interview Gibson) because we want him to stay here. But I asked him, 'If that’s what you desire, to go interview, that's different.' But he said he wants to stay here. That's all we needed to hear. He's not going anywhere."
Jim Leyland announced his retirement from the Tigers on Monday.
Gibson is only signed with Arizona through next season. The team recently declined options that could have extended him through 2016.
"He's committed; he's a loyal guy," Hall said. "He's under contract. He likes it here. Of course, I think he would have liked his options exercised, but he also knows he could be here the next 20 years. That doesn't mean that he's not going to be here after next year because we didn't exercise those next two years. He has enough confidence in himself to know that he could still get extended or still get renewed."