On Thursday evening, Athletic Detroit beat reporter Cody Stavenhagen reported on social media that Detroit Tigers associate general manager Sam Menzin had resigned from his post with the team, and MLB beat writer Jason Beck confirmed the news.
Menzin began working with the Tigers as an intern in 2012, while Dave Dombrowski was still the team’s manager. During his time at Avila, he quickly rose up the ranks, working in a variety of departments such as scouting and player development. He was also reportedly instrumental in the recruiting and hiring of Ryan Garko, vice president of player development. Menzin also apparently ran the team for a brief period of time between Avila’s departure and Harris’ hire. For a time, he and Jay Sartori, who oversaw the expansion of the Tigers’ analytics department and systems, were regarded as the new breed pushing Avila to adapt to the contemporary game.
Menzin was frequently given behind-the-scenes credit for the organization’s transformation during the Al Avila years, a process that appeared to be stalled from above. Prior to Avila’s final year in charge of the club, he was appointed to vice president and assistant general manager. He subsequently remained in the Harris front office and eventually saw the results of his labor as the Tigers made it to the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Of course, front-office personnel reports rarely provide any details. It’s always difficult to understand how things work behind the scenes.
Nonetheless, since Scott Harris appointed Jeff Greenberg as general manager following the 2023 season, possibilities for progression have ceased. Perhaps more notable is Menzin’s experience working for or in three separate front office groups. He remained a constant during the organization’s long and arduous era of change. Meanwhile, Harris and Greenberg have a long history together, dating back to their time with the Chicago Cubs under Theo Epstein and later Jed Hoyer. Without room for further advancement, Menzin may simply want to try his hand with a different squad.
We won’t speculate any further because Menzin could simply be accepting an offer from another team. There could also be personal reasons for leaving the squad. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next with this story.
