Wojo: Tigers' Dombrowski firing a risky gambit
Detroit— First came the reboot. And then came the boot.
The Tigers' week of upheaval culminated in stunning intrigue, with another key piece departing, surely to resurface somewhere else. President and GM Dave Dombrowski was dismissed by owner Mike Ilitch Tuesday, and while the outcome wasn't a shock, the timing was, stirring all sorts of unsettling questions.
Dombrowski was in the final year of his contract but had just orchestrated three trades that sent big names away, and now he's on his way too. His longtime right-hand man, Al Avila, takes over, so this isn't exactly the dawn of a new direction. If Ilitch was simply angered by this season's failures, or by Dombrowski's moves, it's unlikely he would've put Avila in charge.
No, this is deeper, a risky, reactionary gambit that you hope the Tigers don't come to regret. It's the latest in a pattern we've seen with the Ilitches and their teams, the Tigers and Red Wings. Just as Mike Babcock left the Wings when the Maple Leafs craved him more (and paid him more), Dombrowski couldn't reach a deal, and now becomes one of baseball's top executive free-agents.
There have been reports several teams — the Blue Jays, Angels, Red Sox, Mariners — covet him, and I bet the Tigers weren't willing to wait it out, or had already decided to move on. Perhaps they were mindful of what happened to the Wings, who waited uncomfortably for Babcock, then promoted the less-experienced (and less expensive) Jeff Blashill.
Deafening silence
It was poor form that no one from ownership spoke Tuesday, leaving Avila to answer as honestly as he could. Mike Ilitch's statement said, in part, "I've decided to release Dave from his contract in order to afford him the time to pursue other career opportunities." That may sound like an agreeable concession, but this certainly didn't smack of a mutual parting.
Dombrowski, who curiously had no statement in the press release, was stone-faced as he walked out of the Tigers clubhouse, moments before Avila and the rest of the front office entered to inform the team. Later, Avila said he was offered the job Saturday afternoon in a phone call from Ilitch. But Avila had to defer question after question about the bizarre timing, less than a week after Dombrowski traded away David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria in a celebrated "reboot" of the team.
"I think we're all in shock — well, not in shock, I think we're surprised," Avila said of Dombrowski's ouster. "At the end of the day, I don't know how (Ilitch) came to the conclusion. It's really a question for him."
Ilitch, 86, doesn't speak publicly much anymore, and son Christopher has taken a more active role. Dombrowski delivered plenty in his 14 years here, including four straight division titles before this season's pratfall, but he couldn't land a World Series championship. The Tigers came close twice, in 2006 and 2012, with large payrolls, but if any season proved shrewd maneuvering matters as much as spending, it was this one.
It's clear the Ilitches will pay plenty to win, and ultimately they demand two things — titles and loyalty. Dombrowski, 59, was making a reported $3 million per year, one of the top executive salaries in baseball. Avila, 57, doesn't have the same cachet, but he's a respected talent evaluator with deep ties to Latin America, and was instrumental in deals for Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez. The Tigers thought so highly of him, they put a clause in his contract denying him permission to interview for other GM jobs.
Avila said he was given the security of a new contract, and would evaluate everything after the season, including the status of Brad Ausmus. The manager will remain through the end of the season, and then will learn if repercussions extend from the front office to him.
There always are repercussions, even though Dombrowski will find a top job. While Avila expressed his own excitement in landing a long-coveted position, he admitted it was bittersweet, evidenced by Dombrowski's demeanor after hearing the news.
"I would say that nobody's happy when this situation occurs," Avila said. "We've been friends and worked together for 24 years — it was very respectful and cordial."
It was a departure that's becoming eerily familiar. Go back more than a year, when Max Scherzer turned down a $144-million offer and the Tigers released a testy statement in response. Since then, the Ilitches have been less willing to play the free-agent game, which is why Price and Cespedes were dealt. And frankly, there's some logic in a little prudent restraint.
Avila was deeply involved in the trades, by the way, and completely endorsed them. So did Ilitch. That's why this isn't about what happened a week ago, but what might have happened after the season, when Dombrowski could've departed. If the Tigers deemed that inevitable, they at least showed enough faith to let him handle the trade deadline, and he landed several prime prospects.
New tact
Avila has a lot more work ahead, including the awkward issue of dealing with his son, who will be a free agent. Alex Avila has had a rough year that just turned weirder, and his sentiment was echoed by numerous teammates.
"I was definitely shocked like everybody else," Alex Avila said. "But I'm extremely happy for my dad. Very proud of him. I don't think it was the ideal situation he would've wanted to get the opportunity, so that's one way that makes it tough."
Coincidentally, promise and promises collided Tuesday night, when the division-leading Royals came to town and added to their huge lead over the Tigers with a 5-1 victory. Tonight, one of the Tigers' new prized prospects, lefty Matt Boyd, makes his debut. While Dombrowski frequently emptied the farm system to acquire top talent — at Ilitch's urging — it appears player development will be emphasized more.
"First of all, we still want to win this year," Avila said. "Moving forward after this year, we have a good nucleus of players, young and some with experience. With a few moves, maybe the acquisition of some starting pitching, maybe another bullpen guy, obviously left field might be an area to address, we'll be ready to make another run at it."
Avila said Ilitch was explicit that the Tigers would pursue free agents to be contenders again, and spending wouldn't be significantly slashed. But it's reasonable to suggest the Tigers won't continue to have the third-highest payroll in baseball ($173 million).
"He is committed to giving us the kind of payroll to be able to compete and go for a championship," Avila said. "Cost-cutting mode? No. In saying that, you also have to realize you have a payroll and have to manage it. So you have to spend wisely."
Dombrowski didn't always spend wisely, and the Tigers' decimated bullpen is proof of that. But he also had win-now orders to follow and stars to keep, signing Cabrera, Justin Verlander, Victor Martinez and others to hefty contracts.
The days of star-gazing aren't necessarily over for the Tigers, not with the talent on their roster. But after one staggering week, there's a lot more uncertainty.
Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
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