The Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series team may be one of the greatest teams of all time.
That team won 103 games during the regular season and rallied from a 3-1 World Series deficit to defeat the then-Cleveland Indians and claim their first World Series title since 1908, effectively ending the “Curse of the Billy Goat.”
One of the key members of that team’s brass was Scott Harris, who is currently the general manager for the San Francisco Giants.
The Detroit Tigers have hired Harris to become their president of baseball operations starting next season.
Harris will finish out his tenure as Giants GM this season.
Scott Harris will be named #Tigers new president of baseball operations, sources confirm @JeffPassan report. Harris, highly regarded in industry, is in his 3rd season as #SFGiants GM. Harris was key part of #Cubs front office leading up to ‘16 WS title. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 19, 2022
Harris Heads To Detroit
Here is a potential opportunity for the model created by the Cubs in 2016 to spread throughout baseball.
Harris was a key member of Chicago’s front office back in 2016.
That team was largely built from within with guys such as Javier Baez, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo rising through the system a few years prior.
But that was the nucleus of that team, and the vast majority of it came from within the organization.
Perhaps Harris can apply some of that to his new job with the Tigers and help them build the next great team in Detroit.
The Tigers have not been to the postseason since 2014, when the Cubs were in the final stages of rebuilding before they ultimately emerged as a contender.
With guys such as Casey Mize, Spencer Torkelson, and Riley Greene emerging as young stars, some of the work might already be done for Harris.
Building around that nucleus of young stars might be the next step to building the next great team in the Motor City.
NEXT: Cubs Insider Reveals Willson Contreras Update