I recently came across an article clipping that suggested at one time the Detroit Tigers almost left the sacred ballfield to play in a domed stadium in Detroit. That means we may have never seen them win their last championship in 1984.
Is it really unreasonable to wonder whether a rumored-to-be-disinterested owner, who has to reference note cards in order to speak about specific players, would listen to serious offers on his MLB franchise?
Epstein's big-spending philosophy is at extreme odds with Chris Ilitch's frugal ways. And that's only one reason why this combination could never work.
Until or unless Ilitch is willing to share the burden of responsibility, via engaged ownership and committing to spending like a serious contender, it won't matter who the Tigers' general manager is — Detroit will continue to wander the baseball wilderness.
How else can you explain Chris Ilitch allowing the man who's completely botched this rebuild oversee another? Ilitch's priority is to maximize the Tigers' profitability with minimum investment, and Avila serves that interest.