The Detroit Tigers have made a significant change at the top of their organization amid a disappointing season.
The Tigers announced Wednesday that they have fired general manager Al Avila after seven years at the helm. Owner Christopher Ilitch said he would lead the search for a new GM, with assistant GM Sam Menzin taking over the role in the interim.
The Tigers have not posted a winning season since 2016, Avila’s first full season in charge. Since then, the team has torn down its core and embarked on a lengthy rebuild. Detroit spent big on free agents Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez in a bid to take a step forward in 2022, but that has backfired. Baez is hitting just .220 with 10 home runs, while Rodriguez has missed most of the season due to an unexplained personal issue.
Avila took over as GM from Dave Dombrowski in 2015. Prior to that, Avila had been Dombrowski’s assistant general manager since 2002.
After going 77-85 last season, the Tigers have fallen backwards and enter play Wednesday at just 43-68, and their 356 runs scored is the worst mark in the league.
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