The Tigers are bringing Jay Sartori back to their baseball operations department, reuniting the front office with one of the architects of the club’s modern analytics and technology structure.
Sartori will return as vice president of baseball operations after spending the past year with the Atlantic Coast Conference, where he served as vice president of sports technology. Detroit has not formally announced the move, but the hire has been confirmed.
A familiar hand in Detroit’s baseball operations group
Sartori previously spent a decade with the Tigers across two front-office administrations. His original work began under former general manager Al Avila, when he built the organization’s first analytics database and helped establish the infrastructure that would support the club’s research efforts.
His responsibilities grew steadily. By the time he left Detroit last summer, Sartori had held the titles of vice president and assistant general manager, with oversight spanning baseball analytics, research and development, performance science, advance scouting, data operations and software engineering.
He remained in that broad role after Scott Harris became president of baseball operations, before departing for the ACC in a move that placed him nearer to home.
Return adds depth to Harris’ front office
Back in Detroit, Sartori is expected to again handle portions of the wide-ranging portfolio he managed during his first Tigers stint. He will work alongside Andrew Thomas, the club’s vice president of baseball analytics, and Alex Smith, vice president of baseball strategy.
The reunion gives the Tigers another experienced executive familiar with both the organization’s older data foundation and the direction of Harris’ current baseball operations department. For a club that has continued to invest in information, scouting support and player-performance tools, Sartori’s return brings back a longtime internal builder rather than an outside addition still learning the room.
