Sam Menzin resigned from his role as assistant general manager of the Tigers the day before their home opener last week after it was reportedly discovered that he sent unsolicited lewd photos to female employees.
Menzin, 34, had been with the Tigers since 2012, working first under Dave Dombrowski, then Al Avila and eventually Scott Harris, and was sending said photos to women in the organization dating back to at least 2017, according to a report published Monday by The Athletic.
Two women who worked for the Tigers told the publication that they received Snapchat photos from Menzin of his genitals. Another woman who works in baseball but not for the Tigers said that she received similar photos from Menzin via Snapchat around 2018-19, including "side profiles" of his genitals.
One of the women who worked for the Tigers said that Menzin's alleged transgressions hadn't been brought to light earlier "because who is going to believe them when they say Sam Menzin did this? It’s not like a bat boy or security guard. It’s Sam Menzin.”
"It always felt like saying something wasn’t an option, because who is going to believe you and do anything about it?" she added. It’s just this overall sense that (reporting something) wasn’t an option."
Menzin was one of the few holdovers on Harris' front office staff from the Avila regime, after running baseball operations and pro scouting for the Tigers since 2015 and climbing to assistant GM in 2021. He played a central role in the organization's shift into modern analytics.
He stepped down last Thursday shortly before the Tigers planned to fire him, per The Athletic.
"Upon being made aware of the allegations as to Sam Menzin’s conduct, the club promptly completed an investigation," the Tigers said in a statement. "Before the club could terminate Mr. Menzin, he resigned. This type of behavior is contrary to our standards and has absolutely no place within our organization. We have a positive and safe culture for our colleagues and will continue to emphasize respect, inclusion, and professionalism."