Tigers Avoid A Front Office Twist They Really Didn't Need

Jeff Greenberg reaffirms his commitment to the Tigers by stepping out of the Red Wings GM race, opting for stability over a sports transition.

Jeff Greenberg is staying put in Detroit.

The Tigers general manager has withdrawn from consideration for the Red Wings’ front office job, according to Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group. Greenberg had been viewed as a candidate to jump from baseball back to hockey, but that possibility is now off the table.

The idea made sense on paper. Greenberg has a hockey background, having played the sport in high school and college.

His career also took him into the NHL before he returned to baseball. After working for the Pirates, Diamondbacks and Cubs, he joined the Blackhawks as assistant general manager in 2022.

That hockey detour came before Scott Harris was named president of baseball operations for the Tigers in 2023. Harris and Greenberg had already worked together with the Cubs, and Harris brought Greenberg back into baseball by hiring him as the Tigers’ general manager.

The Red Wings opening also carried a built-in convenience. Because both the Tigers and Red Wings are owned by the Ilitch family through Ilitch Holdings, Greenberg would not have had to relocate if he had taken the job.

A move like that usually means uprooting your life and starting over in a new city. In this case, that part would have been simple.

Still, Greenberg is staying with the Tigers. Woodbery reported that Greenberg said he admires the Red Wings and was honored to be considered for the role, but remains committed to Detroit’s baseball club.

For the Tigers, that keeps the front office intact at a time when the team is not having its best season. If Greenberg had left, the club likely would have needed to shuffle responsibilities internally or go outside the organization for a replacement.

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