DETROIT (AP) 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 a powerhouse in Major League Baseball.
Dombrowski is out after nearly 14 seasons as president and general manager of the Tigers. The four-time champions of the American League’s Central Division announced the move Tuesday, catching people in Detroit 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 struggling team, 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 introduced Avila as their new general manager at a news conference. Avila said Ilitch hired him Saturday, a day after Dombrowski completed the last of his trade-deadline deals.
Detroit has won four consecutive division titles, a streak that seems almost certain to end this year. The Tigers lost Tuesday to fall 12 1/2 games behind the first-place Royals.
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 general manager for the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins before moving to Detroit, and is likely to draw interest from teams around the league.
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.
He presided over Detroit’s American League-record 119 losses in 2003, but he eventually built one of the most star-studded rosters in Major League Baseball. The Tigers drafted Justin Verlander, traded for Miguel Cabrera and Max Scherzer and signed several key free agents.
Detroit won the American League pennant in 2006 and 2012, but the Tigers are still without a World Series title since 1984.
”Obviously it’s tough. I’ve been with Dave since the beginning of my career,” Verlander said. ”I know him and us that have been here since Day One are disappointed that we weren’t able to win a championship, but he definitely left a legacy with this organization.”
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AP freelance writer Dave Hogg contributed to this report.
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