Front Office Notes: Tigers, Epstein, Red Sox, Padres

Here are some notes from front offices around MLB, as the Angels continue interviewing candidates for their GM job…

• Tigers assistant GM Al Avila told MLB.com's Jason Beck that he's happy to stay in Detroit, where the Tigers have a good thing going under president and GM Dave Dombrowski. The Tigers denied the Orioles and Angels permission to interview Avila this offseason and have made similar denials in the past. For more on Avila’s development as an executive, check out my piece about him from August.
• Andy MacPhail was a two-time World Series winner when he went from the Twins to the Cubs in 1994. He told Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com that he sees similarities between himself and current Cubs president Theo Epstein, but says it’s now a "different kettle of fish" because fans  generally have higher expectations.
• Epstein promised not to raid Boston's front office to staff his baseball operations department in Chicago, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
• Earlier tonight, the Cubs and Padres confirmed that San Diego GM Jed Hoyer and assistant GM Jason McLeod will leave the Padres to accept positions with Epstein in Chicago. Meanwhile, Josh Byrnes is becoming the Padres' new GM.  
• The Padres will acquire compensation for Hoyer and Byrnes after this December's Rule 5 Draft, according to Dan Hayes of the North County Times (on Twitter).