LSU to Detroit: Avila's role in Tigers connection

Long before Al Avila was in a Major League front office, he got his start as an evaluator as a volunteer assistant coach at St. Thomas University in Miami. It was one of two universities to have a sports administration program at the time, and Avila wanted to get his master’s degree.

The head coach was Paul Mainieri, whose father was a legendary coach at Miami-Dade Community College. He knew Avila’s father, Ralph, the legendary Dodgers scout.

“I was in my office and getting ready to start my second year of coaching,” Mainieri said on Tuesday, “and Al walked in and said he was going to start his graduate education and asked if I needed help on the coaching staff. I didn't have a full-time position, but I offered to help pay for his education.”

A couple years and a college degree later, Avila was the general manager of a Minor League team at Daytona Beach when Mainieri asked him to come back on his staff. This time, he had a paid coaching job to offer. But as Avila described it, it came with a catch.

“He said, ‘I can pay you basically $18,000 a year,’” said Avila. “‘However, it entails more than just coaching. You have to coach the women’s cross-country team and you have to help coach the women’s tennis team.’”

Avila took the job. When Mainieri was named head coach at the Air Force Academy, Avila took over at St. Thomas, later adding the title of athletic director. His work with the other sports helped him learn budgeting and administration skills that help him to this day.

“I knew deep down he wanted to be an administrator and evaluator more than he wanted to coach,” Mainieri said. “You knew he was an intelligent guy and he saw things. His conceptual ability to see the big picture, it was rare when you had somebody in their 20s down there who had that vision.”

After four seasons, Avila joined the Marlins in Latin American scouting and has been in the Majors ever since. But his friendship with Mainieri continued through all their stops. With Mainieri at LSU and Avila in Detroit, that relationship has been helpful for both programs, including in last week’s MLB Draft.

Before the Tigers drafted outfielder Daniel Cabrera in Competitive Balance Round B, Avila placed a call to Mainieri to get his opinion. Amateur scouting director Scott Pleis said they had scouted Cabrera extensively before the college season ended early, giving them a wealth of information.

“We have a lot of history with his bat,” Pleis said. “It’s a quality bat. It has always been good. He’s going to be an everyday left fielder. Power bat, uses the field. He isn’t a runner, but he runs good enough. But a really quality player who has a history of hitting.”

Still, Avila wanted to make sure they weren’t missing anything on why Cabrera dropped out of the first round.

“I thought Cabrera was a steal as a compensation pick after the second round,” Mainieri said. “He was off to a tremendous start and the season got shut down after 17 games. Had we played 70 games instead of 17 games, I think Daniel would've probably been a late first-round Draft choice or a sandwich pick.”

Cabrera is well aware of the connection.

“I’ve heard nothing but good things about the organization, how first-class they are,” Cabrera said last week. “I’m really excited to see where it goes.”

Cabrera became the latest product of Mainieri’s LSU program to land with Detroit’s organization:

• Charlie Furbush pitched at LSU in 2007, Mainieri’s first season at the school, after starring in the Cape Cod League and transferring from Saint Joseph’s College in Maine. His stuff was better than his 3-9 record and 4.95 ERA, Mainieri said. Detroit drafted him in the fourth round that June. Furbush missed the '08 season to Tommy John surgery, but pitched at three different levels in '10 before making his Detroit debut in '11. He was part of the Doug Fister trade with Seattle and pitched five seasons for the Mariners.

• Louis Coleman was a fifth-round pick by the Royals in 2009 after winning SEC Pitcher of the Year and All-America honors at LSU. After parts of five seasons in Kansas City and three other organizations, he was a free agent that Mainieri suggested Avila take a look at. Coleman signed a Minor League deal and pitched 51 games in Detroit in 2018.

• Mikie Mahtook was a first-round pick by the Rays in 2011 whom the Tigers acquired after the '16 season. He became one of the few bright spots on the '17 Tigers squad, finishing with the team's third-best OPS (.787), then was in the Opening Day outfield in '18 and '19.

• JaCoby Jones was a do-everything, super-athletic player for Mainieri’s Tigers in 2013 before the Pirates drafted him in the third round. When Detroit became a seller at the 2015 Trade Deadline, Jones -- then a shortstop prospect -- was the return for Joakim Soria. He has been Detroit’s primary center fielder for the last two seasons.

• Kade Scivicque was a fourth-round pick by the Tigers in 2015. A year later, Detroit traded the catcher to the Braves for veteran infielder Erick Aybar as part of Detroit’s fight for a playoff spot. The Tigers brought Scivicque back in '18 as a Minor League free agent.

• Zack Hess was Detroit’s seventh-round pick last year after three seasons with LSU, splitting his time between the rotation and bullpen. The Tigers saw potential as a late-inning reliever. He ended last season at Class A West Michigan, and ranks 29th on MLB Pipeline’s Tigers' Top 30 Prospects list. “I think the kid is a great competitor, good arm, good slider, throws strikes,” Mainieri said. “I think Zack Hess is going to be a Major League pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, in short order.”

• Alex Lange was a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2017 following three standout seasons in LSU’s rotation. After two years in the Cubs farm system, he became part of the Nicholas Castellanos trade last July. The Tigers moved him to the bullpen, where his strikeout rate improved at Double-A Erie and again in the Arizona Fall League. “I think Alex would make a tremendous relief pitcher for the Tigers,” Mainieri said.

In every case, Avila and Mainieri talked. They also talk about players Mainieri faced in the SEC, such as Drew Smyly, James McCann and Casey Mize. They even talked about this year’s top pick, Spencer Torkelson, whom Mainieri coached two years ago on Team USA.

“I gave him a glowing recommendation. What an outstanding young man he is, great work ethic,” Mainieri said. “We played him in the outfield. I just love Torkelson, his attitude. He's a great teammate. I think his talent speaks for itself.”

Of the 20 LSU Tigers to reach the Majors after playing for Mainieri, four have been Detroit Tigers. Cabrera has the potential to join the list soon. That would be fine by Mainieri, for many reasons. He pulls for his players, but he also still pulls for Avila. When he gives feedback, he says, it’s honest.

“I think it's wise when a general manager or a scouting director tries to gather as much information as they can on somebody,” Mainieri said. “They know my heart's in a place where I want to see them succeed.”