The Detroit Tigers have announced a series of 22 personnel moves that affect the baseball team’s organization from the front office to the major and minor league teams, to the scouting, player development, and analytics staffs.
According to Al Avila, the team’s executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager, the moves are intended to move closer “toward our goal of bringing Tigers fans and the city of Detroit the championship-caliber ballclub they deserve.”
The highest-profile move is that of former Tigers catcher Lance Parrish to special assistant to Avila. Parrish had been manager of the team’s Single A minor league affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, for the last two seasons. Before that, he managed the Double A Erie
SeaWolves from 2014 to 2017. Parrish was a member of the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Series championship squad and has worked in the Tigers organization in various capacities on and off since 1999.
His other stints in a coaching capacity with the organization include Tigers Major League bullpen coach (2000, 2003-05) and third base coach (1999, 2001). Prior to his coaching career, he played 19 seasons in the Majors, including 10 with the Tigers. Over his Major League career, Parrish was an eight-time All-Star and won six Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Gloves. He was a member of Detroit’s 1984 World Series Championship Team.
“These personnel moves are a big step,” says Avila. “Spanning areas including amateur scouting, player development, analytics and our major league club, these staff additions and changes bring together a group of bright, innovative and diverse minds to our organization.
“We’ve created new positions by adding Dr. Georgia Giblin as director of performance science and Dan Hubbs as director of pitching development and strategies, while Kenny Graham joins us from the (Milwaukee) Brewers serving as director of player development.”
On the Tigers’ major league coaching staff, Josh Paul joins the Tigers as quality control coach after spending the previous three seasons as the bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels. Paul played parts of nine seasons with four big-league teams.
Assuming the role of assistant athletic trainer is Chris McDonald recently completed his 18th season in the Tigers organization and his fifth as the athletic trainer for the Triple A Toledo Mud Hens.
Matt Rosenhamer will serve as the club’s assistant major league strength and Conditioning coordinator after spending the 2019 season as the strength and conditioning coach for Double A Erie, which marked his fourth season in the Tigers organization.
Kan Ikeda has been named major league advanced scouting coordinator and Kyle Lanczki becomes major league advanced scouting assistant. Joining them is Austin Tripp, who was named major league video coordinator.
Kenny Graham, who last year was the Brewers’ minor league hitting coordinator, joins the organization as director of player development.
Dave Owen is the club’s new minor league field coordinator and Jordan Wergiles will serve as the coordinator of player development analytics.
Changes in the Tigers’ minor league coaching staffs include Brayan Peña as manager of Single A West Michigan with John Murrian as his hitting coach. Bill Springman was named hitting coach at Single A Lakeland.
Other personnel moves announced by the Tigers include:
- James Orr as national amateur scouting crosschecker.
- Taylor Black as east regional amateur scouting crosschecker.
- Darold Brown joins the organization as an area scout covering northern Nevada and northern California.
- Bryce Mosier as area scout for south Texas.
- Gabe Ho as analytics department analyst.
- Charlie Adams as analytics department database engineer.
- Elora Strom as analytics department software developer.
