Dombrowski, Tigers part ways
DETROIT — The end of Dave Dombrowski’s tenure in Detroit came suddenly and unexpectedly — like so many of the moves he made to build the Tigers into an American League powerhouse.
Dombrowski is out after nearly 14 seasons as president and general manager of the Tigers. The four-time Central Division champions announced the move Tuesday, catching people at Comerica Park and beyond by surprise. Dombrowski was fresh off making several big trades last week, and his exit set off rampant speculation about where he would next work.
Dombrowski was in the last season of his contract and overseeing a team stuck below .500, so there was already speculation about whether he’d be back in 2016. But his abrupt exit — accompanied by a somewhat cryptic explanation from the team — was unusual.
He is being replaced by Al Avila, who has served as his top assistant since 2002. Avila’s son, Alex, catches for the Tigers.
“I’ve decided to release Dave from his contract in order to afford him the time to pursue other career opportunities,” owner Mike Ilitch said in a statement. “I feel this is the right time for the Tigers to move forward under new leadership.”
About an hour after announcing Dombrowski’s departure, the Tigers held a news conference at the ballpark, introducing Avila before Tuesday night’s game against Kansas City. Ilitch wasn’t at the news conference and neither was Dombrowski. A message was left with Dombrowski seeking comment.
“The only conversation I had with Dave was basically when he left, we said our goodbyes, and obviously we’re still great friends. I don’t know how or why Mr. Ilitch made the decision,” Avila said. “That’s something that I really had nothing to do with.”
Avila said Ilitch hired him Saturday, a day after Dombrowski completed the last of his trade-deadline deals. But Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he didn’t know about the switch until Tuesday.
“I would like to thank Dave Dombrowski for his 14 years of service,” Ilitch said in his statement. “Together we’ve enjoyed some success, but we’re still in aggressive pursuit of our ultimate goal: to bring a World Series title to Detroit and Michigan.”
Detroit has won four consecutive division titles, a streak that seems almost certain to end this year. The Tigers began the day trailing the first-place Royals by 11 1-2 games.
Dombrowski’s last major act at the helm in Detroit was to trade away some of the team’s top players with an eye toward the future. David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria were all dealt last week.
The 59-year-old Dombrowski was the GM for the Montreal Expos and Marlins before moving to Detroit.
Dombrowski joined the Tigers as team president in November 2001, with Detroit coming off a 96-loss season. He became general manager the following April and presided over Detroit’s AL-record 119 losses in 2003, but he eventually built one of the most star-studded rosters in baseball.
