Welcome to the new era of the Detroit Tigers‘ hitting department.
The Tigers have hired Michael Brdar, the San Diego Padres’ hitting coach, to lead their revamped hitting department. James Rowson, the Miami Marlins’ bench coach and offensive coordinator, is also joining the hitting department, along with Keith Beauregard, a minor-league coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization.
The club announced the hires Tuesday.
THE HARRIS PLAN: Biggest priority for Tigers this offseason? ‘Reshaping our position playing group’
After Rowson and Beauregard joined, manager A.J. Hinch began searching for the final piece of the puzzle. He conducted interviews in Las Vegas in conjunction with the general manager meetings.
On Saturday, Brdar agreed to a multi-year contract.
“We want to build an offense that attacks pitchers as a team instead of as a group of individuals,” Scott Harris, president of baseball operations, said last Tuesday at the GM meetings in Las Vegas. “I think we can achieve that. I think we’re taking steps toward achieving that. I think we’re taking steps to addressing that on our coaching staff, as well.”
HERE WE GO:Here’s who the Tigers could target as MLB offseason officially begins
Brdar, 28, has deep connections to the Tigers.
The first connection came in 2017, when Brdar — in his second and final season as a shortstop at the University of Michigan — collided with pitching coach Chris Fetter. Fetter joined the Wolverines before the 2017 season and departed after the 2020 season, becoming the Tigers’ pitching coach.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Brdar in the 36th round of the 2017 draft, but his playing career lasted just one season in the minor leagues. He returned to Michigan as the director of program development in 2018 and a volunteer assistant coach in 2019, again teaming up with Fetter and strengthening their relationship.
THE NEW BOSS: What makes Scott Harris the leader to believe in for Tigers’ next generation
WHAT HE’S BUILDING: Tigers’ Scott Harris looking outside the box as he puts together front office
From there, Brdar formed his second connection to the Tigers. The San Francisco Giants, with Harris serving as the general manager, hired Brdar in December 2019 as their assistant hitting coordinator in the minor leagues. One year later, Brdar was promoted to hitting coordinator.
Harris became the Tigers’ president of baseball operations in September 2022.
Brdar took his…