The Detroit Tigers officially have themselves a new President of Baseball Operations in the form of Scott Harris, who had spent the previous three seasons as the San Francisco Giants General Manager. He arrives in the Motor City in a period of transition, as the rebuilding Tigers continue the search for their next General Manger after the firing of Al Avila last month.
He was officially introduced by the team this afternoon at Comerica Park, and he immediately began to endear himself to the fans of the Motor City.
“I”m thrilled to be a Tiger,” he said.
Harris’ blueprint for Detroit’s future success
“I want to share some comments on my vision for the Tigers’ organization.”
1. “We need to acquire, develop and retain young players.”
2. “The best in baseball are getting the absolute most out of that talent.”
3. “The strike zone influences everything.”
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However, don’t expect Harris to simply try and copy what other MLB teams have done in recent years.
“If you’re going to try to do the same thing as every other organization, you’re probably not going to do it as well and you’re probably going to be chasing them the entire time,” he said.
Of course, there are two key pressing issues for the Tigers at the current time. In the first place, they’re in need of a new General Manager, but per Harris, there’s not a specific timeline for that hire.
“I intend to hire a GM,” Harris said. “I don’t have a timeline for that decision right now.”
Additionally, the status of fan favorite Miguel Cabrera continues to be a source of debate amongst fans and pundits. Cabrera explained earlier this year that he intends to play the final year of his contract in 2023 despite having indicated the day prior that he was still dealing with painful injuries.
“I have to sit down with Miguel and talk to him,” Harris said of Cabrera.
Scott Harris has a message for Tigers fans
Finally, Harris delivered the following message to the passionate Tigers fan base:
“This is an exceptional opportunity and responsibility, but this isn’t my team,” he said. “This is Detroit’s team. We’re going to be mindful of that with every decision we make.”
We’re certainly looking forward to a new era of Tigers baseball in the Motor City with Harris playing a key role in Detroit’s success.
