There’s been plenty of front office turnover this summer, with Dave Dombrowski’s departure from the Tigers’ front office, the beginning of Doug Melvin’s transition to an advisory role with the Brewers and the abrupt resignation of Angels GM Jerry Dipoto (who has since taken a temporary consulting position with the Red Sox).
Here’s the latest buzz pertaining to executives around the league…
- The Nationals, Blue Jays and Mariners appear to be the most likely landing spots for Dombrowski, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The Blue Jays and Mariners were immediately speculated upon landing spots, as Toronto has long been on the hunt for a president to replace the retiring Paul Beeston, and Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik’s job security has been questioned in the wake of a disappointing season for the Mariners. The Nationals don’t have an immediate need and seem a somewhat curious fit, given the fact that the well-respected Mike Rizzo currently holds the president of baseball operations title in D.C. The combination of Rizzo and Dombrowski, though, would give Washington a pair of very accomplished baseball minds atop their decision-making pyramid, if the two were to work together.
- “I’ve had a number of people tell me today they think [Indians assistant GM Mike] Chernoff will be the one to beat,” Peter Gammons replied to the MLB Network’s Chris Russo yesterday when asked who will be the new GM of the Brewers (video link, with Brewers talk beginning at about the 4:00 mark). Gammons also lists Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen as a possibility and notes that he believes Melvin could very well remain on board with the Brewers as a club president.
- New Tigers GM Al Avila spoke at length with Tony Paul of the Detroit News about his new position. While Avila didn’t want to get too in-depth about the differences between him and his friend/predecessor, Dombrowski, he did tell Paul that the Tigers’ front office will take more of an analytical approach to roster construction. “One thing I will bring different is expanded analytics,” said Avila. “I will tell you that I feel that we have a ways to go to catch up with the industry. We have been making some strides, but we’ll fast-forward a little bit and add to that department. You’ll see a big difference there.” However, Avila also stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between traditional scouting and the statistical component of player analysis. As Paul notes, the presence of J.D. Martinez on the Tigers can be chalked up to traditional scouting, and Avila played a huge role in bringing Martinez to Detroit.
- Lastly, the Tigers announced three more front office promotions earlier this week. Major League scout Dave Littlefield (the former GM of the Pirates) has been promoted to vice president of player development. Scott Reid has been bumped from special assistant to senior advisor, and Dick Egan is now a special assistant to the executive VP and general manager.
Littlefield is still in baseball? You’d imagine everything he did to the Pirates would be enough for teams to not employ him? Hey, at least he drafted Cutch and Walker I guess.
He’s been working as a major league scout…failing as a GM doesn’t mean much. Red Sox jumped all over Allard Baird after he left the Royals and he’s been valuable there
Little off topic but about Tigers farm system
Tigers system seems a little underrated, yeah they don’t have a real stand out prospect, yet, but they have arms who have had relative success in their system for multiple years, in Ziomek and Kubitza. VerHagen and
Buck Farmer the only ones who have made MLB debut of the bunch struggled in very limited time. JaCoby Jones also has great tools and Dixon Machado has great defense. They may have also added the best 18 year old pitcher in the country in Beau Burrows. While it isn’t the Twins it doesnt seem as barren as its made out to be. Who knows maybe Moya can even have a JD Martinez like transformation.
Tigers system is consistently underrated by publications, yet the Tigers seem to turn those prospects into quality major leaguers.
Verlander is the only one I see on their ML roster.
Over the past 15 years the Tigers have had two first round picks contribute above league average for the team. Verlander and Porcello. Both were up immediately. Im trying to figure out a single player the Tigers developed. If anything they ruined Andrew Miller for 5 years.
Well them and the Marlins
James McCann, Nick Castellanos, Alex Avila,Tyler Collins,and Bruce Rondon are on the 25 man roster.
I think “out of place Met fan” was referring to the fact that many prospects were used as trade chips to get the likes of Miquel Cabrera, Jose Iglesias, Yoenis Cespedes, Amibal Sanchez, Davis Price, Joakim Soria,and Alex Wilson. I may have missed a few but you get the point.
Every fan believes their system is under rated. For every name you just listed, every system has one. What the Tigers do not have in their system are players who can contribute significant production to offset the future costs of the really bad contracts that were handed out. Sure, maybe one hits a high ceiling. However if we weigh percentages, all the best young talent got sent to Tampa for 1.5 seasons of David Price.
The Tigers are in a very bad position, a situation that is what happened with the Phillies and the Astros 5 years ago. The actual solution is probably trading JD Martinez for a huge haul. Miggy has many years to play at 1b, but the Vmart contract is a loss, the Verlander contract could be the worst in baseball by the end of the year. They need to eat all the money Anibal Sanchez and trade him for quality.
Bob, you must not follow the Tigers but only listen to what is said by bloggers and national reporters who also do not follow Detroit closely.
By offsetting future costs of the “really bad contracts”,only Cabrera (age32/8yrs left),Verlander(age 32/4yrs left) and Victor Martinez(36/3yrs left) have 3 or more years on their contracts. Verlander will not match his contract with production this year, but few would if they were on the DL for 1/2 a season. All three of these guys were/are injured and will produce up to their full contracts when healthy. That is the question going forward with these three.
Sanchez has only two years left at $16.8mill per year. Very reasonable for a #3 SP in today’s market. The only minor league talent in the Price deal was an 18 yr. old infielder who is now the #1 guy in Tampa Bay’s system. That proves the Tigers do some things right at the Minor League level.
McCann,Iglesias, Gose,and Castellanos are all 25 or younger.J.D. Martinez is 27, so that’s 5 starters with team control. Both J.D. and Iglesias were All Stars and fall into the “can contribute significant
production” area.
Add to that the fact that James McCann, Nick Castellanos,Tyler Collins,and Bruce Rondon were Tiger organization men shows they do have several producers in the wings. The Tigers do not look anything like the Phillies or Astros
idk if mccann and 3 guys playing at below replacement level “shows they have several producers in the wings” you are forgetting that iglesias and martinez are unlikely to improve and this team still wasn’t a playoff team with them having huge years and having price and cespedes. they are in between the astros and phillies. they definitely can still win, they just need so much pitching. not an ace persay, but they need a whole new bullpen and don’t have the high leverage arms ready. if they aren’t in the playoff picture by next all star break you gotta start blowing it up, trade j.d, look in to trading kinsler and iglesias. basically blow it up but the big contracts you cant move.
They started blowing it up in 2013. You are three years too late. They unloaded Fister, Peralta, Infante, Hunter, Scherzer, Porcello, Jackson, and Fielder. Soon to rid themselves of Nathan and Avila.
The two All Star players you mentioned do not need to improve but stay the same. McCann and Collins are in their 1 real season in the majors and Castellanos his 2nd at age 23. McCann has All Star potential and Rondon will be a solid closer when healthy.
Speaking of healthy, the 2015 team never had all of their top performers on the field and healthy at any time this season. Verlander missed 1/2 the season,V Mart is not 100% and Miggy is still on the DL. You can’t just replace the best hitter in the AL. I know a team has to play through the injuries but 2015 has been a dip in their potential.
They will field a playoff contender in 2016 if the big injuries stay away. With Verlander and V Mart having only 3 and 2 years left after 2016,there is nothing to blow up. They could very well earn their contracts next year. Miggy will be the only big contract left, and he will earn it.
The high leverage arms they need could come from the kids they just got in the 2015 deadline trades. I expect one of them to fill the #5 and maybe #4 spot in the rotation next year.
The Tigers DETNEWS article is insightful. Looks like TWO new hires are coming on board specifically focused on Analytics.
Scouting had very little to do with JD Martinez. The Tigers hitting staff had everything to do with it. I fail to believe Al Avila saw anything other than may a few stray dingers. The Tigers hitting instructors completely retooled his swing from when he was on the Astros. He is a completely different hitter.
Avila went straight after JD when he was available. He knew the Astros had made him into a moneyball hitter and that the Tigers style of attacking the opposing pitcher and driving the ball to all fields might work with him. It’s not like the man didn’t know how the player would fit with the teams coaching staff.
The Astros werent even ran by Luhnow and the analytical staff you are referring to when J.D Martinez actually was playing for the Astros. He played one season under Luhnows regime. He was terrible and huge holes in his swing.
Luhnow and Martinez both were with the Astros from 2011-13.
JD Martinez changed both his approach and his swing when the signed with the Tigers in 2014. There have been numerous articles written about it with him quoted.
Man..there’s the Moneyball term. It’s like saying “swell” or “out of sight”