The four-time defending division champion Detroit Tigers let go of successful GM Dave Dombrowski on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in a stunning turn of events that has the baseball world wondering where the talented team architect will end up next—and why he’s out of a job in the first place.
Dombrowski took over Detroit in 2002—right when the 100-plus-year-old franchise might have been at its lowest point. The hapless Tigers hadn’t been to postseason since 1987 and the team proceeded to lose more than 100 games in each of his first two seasons.
But Dombrowski—who had previous success as GM of the Montreal Expos (1988–1990) and the then-named Florida Marlins GM (1991–2001)—slowly starting infusing the club with talent.
He signed 13-time Gold Glove winner Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez to play catcher in 2003. The next spring he drafted future MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander with the second overall pick of the draft. The next season he added five-time All-Star Magglio Ordóñez to the outfield.
