Jeff Greenberg’s brief appearance in the Red Wings’ search is over, and the reaction around Detroit has been less about hockey than about the Tigers’ own front office.
Last month, the Detroit Free Press reported that Greenberg, the Tigers’ general manager, was among the names in the mix for the Red Wings’ top job after Steve Yzerman was demoted to senior advisor in mid-July. The search has now dragged on for almost two months, and with the NHL preseason set to begin in less than two weeks, the Ilitches still do not appear close to naming a replacement.
On Monday, Greenberg shut down the speculation with a statement released through the Tigers. He said he has a "tremendous respect and admiration for the organization and was honored to be considered for the opportunity, but he is committed to the Tigers and what this group is building" and that he was withdrawing from consideration for the Red Wings position.
For the Tigers, that’s a relief. The last thing they need heading into the offseason is another front-office vacancy while there’s already plenty to manage on the field. But Greenberg’s decision also left a familiar question hanging in the air: what, exactly, does he do day to day?
Greenberg has hockey ties. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris brought him over from the Blackhawks in 2023, where Greenberg had been assistant general manager. Before that, Harris and Greenberg worked together in the Cubs’ front office from 2012 through 2018, until Harris was hired away by the Giants.
Still, Harris is the Tigers’ most visible voice, and the inner workings of the rest of the baseball operations department are mostly kept out of public view. Plenty of MLB teams have different layers of titles and responsibilities, and the setup can get murky fast.
Some clubs lean on a team president, a president of baseball operations and a general manager. Others use a team president and a Chief Baseball Officer.
Some simply have general managers and little else.
That’s why Greenberg’s role is hard for fans to pin down. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that never reaches the public, and this is as close to true inside baseball as it gets.
At least for the Tigers, the matter is settled: Greenberg stays at Comerica. The Red Wings, meanwhile, still have work to do before the NHL season starts.
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