Gabe Alvarez was fired Tuesday after sending an ‘inappropriate’ text message to a female colleague, he said in a statement released to ESPN on Wednesday night. In the statement, Alvarez said he sent a single message he intended as a lighthearted joke, recognized it was inappropriate, reached out to clarify his intent and expressed regret that the message caused discomfort.
The specifics of the message remain unclear, the report says. The message was relayed to the organization’s human resources department on Monday, and the 52-year-old Alvarez was dismissed on Tuesday for what the organization called ‘a violation of club policy,’ the report adds.
The dismissal comes amid broader scrutiny of conduct inside the organization. Multiple reports from The Athletic over the past year outlined inappropriate behavior by men toward women within the club’s operations. The Athletic reported that assistant general manager Sam Menzin resigned in April 2025 and was later reported to have sent lewd photos to multiple female Tigers employees, and a later report alleged eight men employed by Ilitch Sports and Entertainment were accused of misconduct toward women.
The report says Alvarez spent three seasons in the major leagues with the Tigers and Padres and later coached at USC, where he attended college. He joined the Tigers organization in 2022 and was named Eastern League Manager of the Year after the Erie SeaWolves won the first of consecutive league titles. He was promoted to manage Triple-A Toledo before the 2025 season and had returned there this year.
Sources said Alvarez had a clean file with the Tigers’ human resources department prior to sending the text on Monday. The Athletic notes that employees who violate Ilitch Sports’ harassment policy are subject to automatic termination.
