The Detroit Tigers announced Thursday the addition of Ryan Garko as the new vice president of player development. He takes over the position previously held by Dave Littlefield, who was reassigned by general manager Al Avila in late August as part of numerous front office moves.
Garko, 40, has spent the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. He served as their coaching assistant and instant replay coordinator, focusing on the use of analytics in the clubhouse and dugout and for game-planning strategies on offense.
He was the head coach at the University of Pacific from 2018-19 and managed Double-A Tulsa — an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — for parts of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.