Days after David Chadd was shown the door by Scott Harris, the Tigers hired Rob Metzler as their new VP and assistant GM.
Metzler joins the Tigers after spending the previous 15 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays as the senior director of amateur scouting. According to Mlive, Metzler was “instrumental” in drafting 2022 All-Star Game starter Shane McClanahan, Nathaniel Lowe, Joe Ryan, and Taylor Walls. That alone is an upgrade considering Al Avila (and Dave Dombrowski for that matter) spent the better part of their tenures either hitting the farm system and/or whiffing on draft picks.
“I hope all Tigers fans will join me in welcoming Rob and his family to our organization,” said Scott Harris, Detroit Tigers President of Baseball Operations. “I am thrilled to add an executive of Rob’s caliber to lead our Amateur and International Scouting departments. Rob’s track record of success with the Rays speaks for itself, and his innovative approach to talent acquisition will help us achieve one of our main goals: to acquire, develop and retain young talent in Detroit.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity and I’m excited to work with Scott and the rest of our baseball operations staff,” Metzler said. “We’re going to hit the ground running to ensure our processes of amateur scouting at both the domestic and international levels are the best they can possibly be, and search for the most comprehensive information possible to help inform our decision making.
“I’d also like to thank the Tampa Bay Rays organization for an incredible 15 seasons, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished. The reason I’m here in Detroit is to bring that same energy, passion and innovative spirit, culminating with winning baseball on the field at Comerica Park for years to come.”
Mlive.com