Baltimore, Md. — The Tigers have their new boss.
The Tigers have hired San Francisco Giants general manager Scott Harris as president of baseball operations, a source confirmed Monday to The Detroit News. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Harris, 36, had been the general manager of the Giants for three seasons after serving multiple roles in the Cubs’ baseball operations department for seven years under Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer.
The Cubs played in the postseason for four straight years during his tenure and won the 2018 World Series and the Giants set a franchise record with 107 wins last season.
“Throughout this extensive search process, we were determined to find the best person to run our baseball operations,” Tigers CEO and chairman Chris Ilitch said in a team statement. “Scott’s vision for how to construct a baseball organization to compete and win in the modern game is impressive. His leadership ability is polished from both his experience as an executive at multiple levels and mentorship from some of the game’s most talented baseball operations leaders.
“Scott is a difference maker, innovator and fiercely competitive, always looking for an edge. We’re excited to welcome Scott and his fiancé, Elle, to the Tigers family, and look forward to the bright future of our organization.”
The Tigers will introduce Harris at a press conference on Tuesday at 2:30.
“This is an exciting day for me and my family, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to lead baseball operations for the Detroit Tigers,” Harris said in the statement. “The Tigers have a rich history and tradition as a charter member of the American League, and I can’t wait to get to work on the next chapter of Tigers baseball. I’d like to thank Chris Ilitch for believing in my vision for this organization and being so accommodating throughout the interview process. I’d also like to thank Greg Johnson, Rob Dean, Farhan Zaidi, Larry Baer and the entire Giants organization for their support over the last three years.”
Said Tigers manager AJ Hinch: “I’m really excited to have Scott Harris join us as President of Baseball Operations.
“In getting to know him over the last few weeks, what he wants for the future of our team and organization is really inspiring and is something I know our fans will embrace as much as I do. His vision and expectation of winning makes it easy to want to work tirelessly for him. We have a lot of work to do and today is a great step in the right direction on that path.”