AL Central rival GM mysteriously resigns two weeks into the season

The Kansas City Royals, believe it or not, are still in the AL Central division race. Sure, they have less than two weeks of the season in the books, but only trailing the division-leading Detroit Tigers by one game is a better situation than many hopeful playoff contenders have, such as the Baltimore Orioles or Houston Astros. The Tigers' return to relevancy has been well documented and studied; they've been one of the hottest teams since last year's All-Star break. Things are looking good for Detroit this season, but they will also be seeking a new assistant general manager.

The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen reported this week that Tigers assistant general manager and vice president Sam Menzin resigned his position on Thursday. The reason for the resignation is unknown, as many front office position changes remain hush-hush.

Sam Menzin's resignation ends a lengthy tenure with KC Royals rival Detroit Tigers.

Menzin was one of the franchise's longest-tenured employees, joining the front office as a baseball operations intern in June 2012. Since then, he served as Detroit's Director of Baseball Operations and Professional Scouting (2017-2021), Director of Baseball Operations (2015-2017), and baseball operations analyst and baseball operations coordinator (2013-2015). He took on his assistant general manager title in August 2021.

MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk had some speculation regarding the move, saying, "It could be that Menzin simply felt it was time for a fresh start, if there was perhaps little room for immediate future advancement within Detroit’s front office." That logic seems sound, as Menzin was passed over for the general manager job after Al Avila was fired. The Tigers instead hired Jeff Greenberg, an assistant general manager for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. Scott Harris also oversees Baseball Operations, and he was hired away from the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 19, 2022.

Menzin was one of three assistant general managers in the front office, along with Rob Metzler and Jay Sartori. Menzin was the longest-tenured executive of the trio, further fueling Polishuk's speculation. The Tigers turned things around at the major-league level and on the farm, too, with Menzin near the top, as Detroit currently boasts MLB Pipeline's top farm system.

The Tigers currently sit atop the AL Central, with a 4-4 record as of Saturday. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch has been critical in turning the on-field product around, despite some unsightly contracts added by a previous front office. Detroit hopes to build upon their ALDS appearance in 2024 after a late-season surge saw their campaign ended by the rival Cleveland Guardians.