After heavy spending in the offseason, the Detroit Tigers have entered the 2022 MLB campaign with hopes of making the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Now that it has become clear this won’t be the case, the struggling franchise is attempting to shake things up with front office changes.
The Tigers confirmed on Wednesday that the team’s vice president and general manager Al Avila had been relieved of his duties. Avila leaves the Tigers after more than 20 years with the organization and seven years as a GM.
The Tigers made a big splash in free agency, signing several high-profile players, including two-time All-Star shortstop Javier Baez and left-hand pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. However, instead of entering the playoff hunt, Detroit finds itself in a familiar place at the bottom of AL Central with a 43-68 record.
“All of us—the players, front office, and many of you (reporters)—had high expectations and excitement for the season,” Tigers’ CEO Chris Ilitch told reporters after the news was confirmed. “Unfortunately, we did not see progress this season at the major league level. A big reason why I decided it’s time to make a change.”
Al Avila joined the Tigers in 2002 as an assistant GM and vice president. He was promoted to GM in 2015 after the franchise parted ways with well-respected executive Dave Dombrowski.
Under Avila, the Tigers never made the postseason. The closest they were to playoffs was in 2016 when they finished the campaign second in AL Central with an 86-75 record.
