2019 MLB Season: Rating the AL Central general managers

2019 MLB Season: The AL Central’s best GM

Al Avila, Detroit Tigers

As with Mike Hill in Miami, it is not entirely clear why Tiger ownership hasn’t invited Avila to ponder the joys of retirement.

Granted, Detroit’s ability to build a successful team is hampered by the finances. Detroit already commits the highest percentage of overall revenues to on-field payroll, so asking for more budget flexibility probably isn’t an option.

At the same time, teams such as Tampa Bay and Oakland contend for playoff spots with far less financial resources than the Tigers, who are a combined 137 games under .500 since Avila took charge five seasons ago.

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Beyond that, all of the major financial constraints hamstringing the Tigers – notably the $30 million annually they owe Miguel Cabrera through 2025 –were signed on Avila’s watch.

It requires a deep dive into the Tigers roster to identify a player one can confidently project as a future star. Among position players with more than 100 plate appearances, only Victor Reyes finished with a positive contribution based on WAA…and that was just +0.3. Who else is there to believe in? Willi Castro? Travis Demeritte? Dawel Lugo?

The pitching staff was slightly more productive. Veteran starters Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris both topped +1.0 WAA, albeit with ERAs of 4.90 and 4.68 respectively.

Getting back to Avila, he traded for five major leaguers, Demeritte (1.7) and Brandon Dixon (-1.6) being the most impactful. He signed or re-signed nine others, among them journeyman pitcher Edwin Jackson (-1.2) and veteran infielder Gordon Beckham (-1.4).

Pitcher Spencer Turnbull (3-17, 4.61 ERA, +0.9 WAA) may eventually blossom into the reliable starter the Tigers hoped for when they gave him 30 mound assignments. But it hasn’t happened yet. Nor, for the duration of Avila’s experience, has anything positive.

Short-term acquisitions: -5.0

Short-term trade losses: -0.9

Short-term free agent signings: -4.4

Short-term free agent losses: -1.5

Short-term rookie production: -6.2

Short-term total: -18.0