Tigers GM Avila: This Year We're An Underdog
DETROIT (WWJ) -- The Detroit Tigers are coming off of a disappointing season, one plagued by injuries and that ended in a last-place finish in the American League Central Division.
But before that, the Tigers dominated the AL Central, winning four straight pennants from 2011 until 2014. Now, the team is in unfamiliar territory -- looking up at the rest of the division.
New general manager Al Avila -- who took over for long-time president Dave Dombrowski midway through the 2015 season -- said that he and the team alike have to shake off that perception and play as well as they know they can.
"I guess we can feel cautiously optimistic," Avila told Greg Bowman while speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950 on Monday. "In the past years, we've been the team to beat. This year now, obviously, I guess you could consider [us] somewhat of an underdog."
Avila said that he doesn't pay attention to what so-called experts and writers are predicting for the Tigers this season.
"[Those publications] are more for the fans. You can talk to most clubs, they don't pay much attention to that," Avila said. "Those were the same publications that didn't pick the Kansas City Royals for the last couple years.
"We just pay attention to the things that are in our control, which is basically putting together the best team possible and then getting them ready for the season," Avila continued.
Over the offseason, the Tigers added a pair of big-money free agents -- starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and outfielder Justin Upton. After losing both David Price and Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline in 2015, Avila said that team owner Mike Ilitch gave him the green light to go out and spend money filling those holes.
"Mr. Ilitch obviously wanted to continue to push forward and based on the hard work of some of these veteran guys, it gave us the faith to go out there and spend some money and get quality guys like Jordan Zimmermann and Justin Upton," Avila said.
Zimmermann was given a $110 million contract from the Tigers while Upton's was for just over $132 million. With the contracts of stars Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera already on the books, the new acquisitions make the Tigers' 2016 payroll the fourth-highest in the MLB at just under $200 million.
That kind of spending is something that Ilitch has done for many years, something Avlia says makes him one of the best owners in sports.
"If he's not the best owner in all of sports, he's certainly among the best not just [in] baseball," Avila said. "He's just a great guy to work for, he's got passion for the game, he loves the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan.
"He's working hard to bring us a winner, and that's what we're trying to do," Avila said.