DETROIT (AP) – Dave Dombrowski is out as president and general manager of the Detroit Tigers, ending a run of nearly 14 seasons in which he helped turn the franchise from an afterthought into one of the American League’s powerhouses.
The Tigers announced the move Tuesday. Dombrowski, who was in the last season of his contract, is being replaced by Al Avila, who has served as his top assistant since 2002.
“I would like to thank Dave Dombrowski for his 14 years of service,” owner Mike Ilitch said in a 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. I’ve decided to release Dave from his contract in order to afford him the time to pursue other career opportunities. I feel this is the right time for the Tigers to move forward under new leadership.”
Detroit has won four consecutive AL Central titles, a streak that seems almost certain to end this year. The Tigers entered Tuesday night’s game against Kansas City 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.