Detroit has been free-falling in the postseason race, but major changes aren't coming.

A 15.5-game division lead should be insurmountable. Yet the Detroit Tigers are somehow on the verge of blowing it to the Cleveland Guardians, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Which begs the question: if the Tigers miss the postseason altogether, could they fire president of baseball operations Scott Harris or manager A.J. Hinch?

Probably not. Harris is one of the brightest young executives in baseball and, for the most part, has done a good job in Detroit. Perhaps his biggest flaw is being risk-averse, something that is common in executives across baseball (not named A.J. Preller). The Tigers’ trade deadline, which featured many small moves without a big splash, was criticized heavily at the time. Now, it looks like one of the worst deadlines in recent memory by a contender.

But it won’t be enough to cost Harris his job. At least, it shouldn’t.

Hinch, on the other hand, is a different story. He’s one of baseball’s most decorated managers, a players manager who often extracts the best out of his teams. He’s the perfect manager for Detroit and it’s unimaginable that he’s fired. If he was, he’d be hired elsewhere in a second. But that’s entirely doubtful. It is possible, however, that there’s a scapegoat. But it won’t be the two leaders at the helm.

Scott Harris, A.J. Hinch likely safe amid Tigers' collapse

The Tigers’ collapse, however, can be traced to a few things.

A pitching staff that has struggled mightily in September, posting an ERA almost 1.50 more than it was in August. An offense that has largely gone stagnant. The trade deadline that netted Charlie Morton, who was designated for assignment and signed to a major-league contract by the Atlanta Braves. That netted Chris Paddack, who has an ERA over six since coming to Detroit. That netted Kyle Finnegan, who is on the Injured List with a right adductor strain, and Paul Sewald, who missed time with a right shoulder strain.

They have tried to find lightning in a bottle with various pitchers, much like they have with Tyler Holton. But that has largely been unsuccessful. 

The Tigers now head to Cleveland for a three-game series that could very well make or break their season. Do they have what it takes? They are optimistic about their chances. But it’s possible that the Tigers, who had a 99.9% chance of making the postseason, who looked like the favorites to represent the American League in the World Series even 1-to-2 months ago, could miss the playoffs altogether.

No one saw that coming. But if that happens, Harris and Hinch are likely to remain in place in Detroit.