When Al Avila took over as general manager of the Detroit Tigers in August of 2015, the organization faced a host of difficult challenges. Six years later, with a last ditch effort to win, a painful teardown, and a slow, but comprehensive overhaul of the farm system now behind them, the 2021 Tigers finally took a big step toward a brighter new era for the club.
In the process, Avila landed the manager the organization needed in A.J. Hinch, hit on numerous player acquisitions that helped the Tigers to their best baseball since 2016, and largely completed the overhaul of their front office and player development system.