The timing isn't ideal. Not from a public relations perspective. But then if Christopher Ilitch were worried about what the public thinks, there’d be fewer empty lots and more buildings around Little Caesars Arena.

And so it was no surprise when the Detroit Tigers’ owner cited progress among the team’s prospects as a reason he was extending the contract of the general manager Al Avila. He lives in his own reality.

Meanwhile, the big-league Tigers are struggling. This isn’t a surprise, either. No one expected them to contend this season.

Still: they’ve lost 44 of their last 60 games. Enough to spur headlines about another 119-loss season.

That isn’t likely to happen now — they've won a couple games recently. Besides, two teams — Kansas City and Baltimore — have more losses.

Yet the Tigers will almost surely lose 98 games for the third season in a row. It’s possible they will lose more than 105 games. And while that’s below the all-time American-League record of 119 losses the Tigers set in 2003, a number that high would make this year’s team one of the franchise’s worst.

Add that to the struggling prospects in the farm system and you’ve got an organization without much hope.

Now comes news that the man who is overseeing the rebuild just got a multi-year contract extension … a year before his contract was set to expire.

Ilitch surely has his reasons. Continuity. History. The fact that Avila had a hand in building a contender with the Tigers and with the Miami Marlins.

All reasonable points. So is this one: Rebuilds in baseball take time.

The question is: How much time?

Here is what Ilitch said in a release Friday afternoon:

“It’s clear to anyone that follows Tigers baseball that our organization is undergoing a significant transformation,” said Ilitch. “I’ve been impressed with Al’s leadership and focus, and the steadfast way he has led our baseball operations since becoming general manager.”

Ilitch is right. The Tigers are going through a significant transformation.

But toward what? And, is Avila the man to see it through?

The first answer is easy. Ilitch wants another playoff contender. The second answer is muddier, considering what we have — and haven't — seen so far.

Avila hasn't made a splash in free agency since signing Justin Upton in 2016, mainly because the Tigers haven't been in the market for top players during the rebuild. Still, few of the prospects he has secured are doing anything in the minors. Injuries have muddied the results further.

Franklin Perez, a pitcher who arrived as the central piece in the Justin Verlander trade in 2017, can’t stay healthy. Daz Cameron, an outfielder who was also part of that deal, can’t find consistency at the plate.

Meanwhile, Casey Mize, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tigers in the 2018 MLB draft, showed promise immediately until a shoulder injury sidelined him last month.

In general, the pitchers Avila has drafted or traded for have looked better than the hitters he’s brought in. Though Riley Greene, the team’s No. 5 pick this past spring, possesses easy power and a fluid and promising swing.

[ Tiger top pick Riley Greene hits two homers, including grand slam in debut ]

Still, the future outfielder is at least a couple of seasons away from Detroit. Mize is probably one year away — he could be a late-season call-up next September. And Perez has yet to show he can stay healthy.

There are other interesting prospects — catcher Jake Rogers, pitcher Matt Manning and infielder Isaac Paredes will play in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Sunday — though it’s hard to say yet if they are future pieces of a playoff team.

Paredes came over when Avila shipped Justin Wilson and his son, Alex Avila, to the Cubs. Jeimer Candelario arrived in that deal, too.

Candelario was supposed to be the next Tigers third baseman. Yet he was hitting .207 entering Friday and has bounced between Detroit and Triple-A for most of this season.

Paredes remains a top hitting prospect, but he just hasn’t hit yet. That could change.

In truth, all of the fortunes of these prospects could change. Projecting future stars is harder in baseball than just about any other team sport we have.

Right now, it looks bleak, save for a couple of spots. Which is why Avila's contract extension looks bleak, too.

Ilitch had him under contract for another season and another draft and another round of possible trades. He could’ve had more time to watch the prospects develop.

Instead, he sent a release saying he’s comfortable where this is headed.

“I am especially pleased with the progress we have made in securing a stable of talented prospects which bodes well for our future,” he said Friday. “Al has a proven track record in this game, and his nearly three decades of experience is paying dividends in this rebuilding phase.”

Dividends?

That’s too early to say.

As for Avila’s track record?

Yes, he has one. And it’s full of successes. Just not as the man making the final decisions.

Ilitch is banking that the proof is coming. By signing Avila to an extension, he’s asking for more patience.

I’m guessing it’s getting harder and harder to accommodate him.

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @shawnwindsor.