DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit Tigers have spent a little more than a month searching a new head of their baseball team and, on Monday, they found their guy in Scott Harris.
The 36-year-old joins the Tigers from the San Francisco Giants, where he's served a key role in building the roster over the past three seasons. That includes the 2021 team, which won the National League West with a record of 107-55.
"Throughout this extensive search process, we were determined to find the best person to run our baseball operations," said Tigers Chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch. "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."
Harris will be tasked with building a team that many had pegged to be competitive in 2022 with the signing of Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. That hasn't come to pass, however, as the Tigers are likely to lose 100 games again.
During his three years in San Francisco, the Giants went 205-163, the fourth-best in the NL and eighth-best in all of MLB.
"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," said Harris. "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."
Prior to joining the Giants, Harris spent seven years working in the Chicago Cubs’ baseball operations department, most recently serving as Assistant General Manager under Cubs President Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer. He assisted in all potential player acquisitions, contract and trade negotiations, and player evaluations while overseeing several departments including research and development and high performance.
During that stretch, the Cubs made the playoffs for four-straight years, including the 2016 World Series win.