Red Sox have fired GM Dave Dombrowski

[Jasonbay44]

 

 

Wow... I didn't think this would actually happen that fast, I thought he would at least get another year.

[DontCallMeUncleRico]

Really really surprising.

 

Let it be known, you must win the world series every year if you want to keep your job. Yikes!

Edited September 9, 2019 by DontCallMeUncleRico

[RedSoxNC84]

Definitely a bit of a surprise.

[a700hitter]

This is a bombshell!

[jacksonianmarch]

Welcome to the rebuild

[illinoisredsox]

Welcome to the rebuild

 

You really need to learn the value of an unexpressed thought.

[harmony]

notin carries too much weight with Red Sox ownership.

[jacksonianmarch]

This isn’t about the Sox not making the POs this year. This is about the extensions and the money spent and not making the POs. If DD said to Henry, hey, we might take a step back this year. Let’s add to the pen, let Eovaldi walk, let Sale play out his contract and scale back a bit, he’s still in the GM chair. But he hasn’t learned from his history. He had some damn good Detroit teams, but he gets enamored with his teams and ends up extending them stupidly beyond their usefulness. He left a wretched mess in Detroit and it’s heading that way here. I think Henry is smart enough to know that they have to rebuild while they have pieces that will get a return rather than pay their guys top dollar again. This absolutely means Mookie gets moved, IMO. And it also validates Shaughnessy who called this two months ago

[notin]

This isn’t about the Sox not making the POs this year. This is about the extensions and the money spent and not making the POs. If DD said to Henry, hey, we might take a step back this year. Let’s add to the pen, let Eovaldi walk, let Sale play out his contract and scale back a bit, he’s still in the GM chair. But he hasn’t learned from his history. He had some damn good Detroit teams, but he gets enamored with his teams and ends up extending them stupidly beyond their usefulness. He left a wretched mess in Detroit and it’s heading that way here. I think Henry is smart enough to know that they have to rebuild while they have pieces that will get a return rather than pay their guys top dollar again. This absolutely means Mookie gets moved, IMO. And it also validates Shaughnessy who called this two months ago

 

1. Validates Shauhnessy? 2 months ago? Don’t you read my stuff? (Although interestingly enough, I did get mention in this thread prior to Shaughnessy, as it should be.)

 

2. It could mean the end of Betts. But it’s not a guarantee...

[notin]

notin carries too much weight with Red Sox ownership.

 

Actually as it took until mid-September, I was thinking maybe I don’t have enough weight...

[Jasonbay44]

I for one hope it’s not the end of Betts. You don’t replace guys like Mookie

[jung]

Actually as it took until mid-September, I was thinking maybe I don’t have enough weight...

 

The only reason it took till mid-Sept is because it helped John Henry maintain the fantasy that we still had a shot at making the WC.

 

I would suggest that John is not happy as he has literally bounced DD out on his ass. So what lies at the heart of that:

- can't be winning it all in 2018. that would be absurd

- probably isn't using the farm so extensively to win it in 2018 as that is DD's MO

- so I would surmise that John is torqued off about the Sale extension and the Nate and Pearce signings

- quite possibly torqued off about being drawn into the trade deadline public fiasco which may well have been a DD creation

- quite possibly since DD was Pres of Baseball Ops. not a GM, Henry was nonplused about the general direction of the entire baseball op as opposed to the business operation. I don't blame him. He has a right to be torqued off. Beyond the 2018 WS win, I am not particularly pleased with where they have gone since DD has been at the helm either.

 

DD's approach has been somewhat confused. He is not even keeping one foot in a traditional baseball ops management perspective and the other foot in a more "contemporary" approach. He has been dancing back and forth between one and the other. I would not be at all surprised if Henry finds that entirely unsatisfactory.

 

But to not realize that the way DD was dispatched with is a clear indication of Henry's displeasure would be sticking our heads in the sand.

[cp176]

Thanks go out to dd and now it's on to the next GM.. Where's Cherington when you need him? Let all of you condescending jackasses who know so much about the way it works and that would include the jackson ass from NY fame. I will do my thing as a fan for the next guy up.

[vegasbob]

Anxious to see Cora's reaction to this move by ownership. Now he has to consider a new boss in baseball ops. Henry had to be super mad to this and was just waiting for a good excuse, such as a Yankee series loss at home . DD's team did not have a winning record at home. All very interesting and will make the off season more active than this season has been.

[oldtimer]

1. Validates Shauhnessy? 2 months ago? Don’t you read my stuff? (Although interestingly enough, I did get mention in this thread prior to Shaughnessy, as it should be.)

 

2. It could mean the end of Betts. But it’s not a guarantee...

 

I have been expecting this for some time, although I thought they might wait for the season to end. Dombrowski spend the money and traded away the farm in order to make us competitive and give us a chance to win the WS. With the team resources depleted, he didn't look like the guy to rebuild and reset. They can look for the right guy. I suggested a name earlier but I'm sure there are other stroong possibilities.

 

If you look at Dave's recent moves, he extended Sale and Eovaldi, put Moreland and Pearce in place again and extended Bogie. Some were good moves but most were moves that will weigh the Sox down for years to come. I don't think this parting ways with Dombrowski will impact the decision on Mookie but I do think it means reset, rebuilding of the farm system and an approach that I have advocated. Keep the young player core together while replacing guys who don't fit long term. Bring in some young low cost players and see if any can make the grade. It may mean hard headed changes as well. Coaches or players who don't make the grade are gone.

[jacksonianmarch]

This also puts Cora on notice. The Sox will open a GM search and any time a GM comes on with a manager they didn’t pick, it leads to a potentially dicey relationship

[jung]

It will be interesting to see the projected list of candidates for the job and the ultimate choice. We could find out a good deal about Henry's thinking from who he picks for the job.

 

Given the way DD was dispatched, I would be surprised if the winning ticket was punched from within the current Sox operation.

[kenmeister]

You really need to learn the value of an unexpressed thought.

 

I found this comment hilarious. You made my day.

[moonslav59]

What's surprising?

 

You give a guy a full farm, a top spending budget every year and a solid core of stars to begin with.

 

The one ring was great, and I'm super grateful, but the state of the Sox, right now, as we are still the top spending team is in decline with our farm ranked last and our budget issues not going away.

 

The timing surprised me, but if the rebuild is to begin, why not give the next guy a head start?

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not surprised at all.

 

When I read Shaughnessy's comments about the situation they had the ring of truth.

[S5Dewey]

1. Validates Shauhnessy? 2 months ago? Don’t you read my stuff? (Although interestingly enough, I did get mention in this thread prior to Shaughnessy, as it should be.)

 

2. It could mean the end of Betts. But it’s not a guarantee...

 

Not a guarantee with Betts, but contrary to what I posted yesterday, it's probably the end of JBJ's tenure here.

[S5Dewey]

You really need to learn the value of an unexpressed thought.

 

It's times like this I wish this format had something to indicate an "upvote".

[moonslav59]

What will the next GM's framework be?

 

To reset in 2020? (My guess is, YES!)

 

To build a winner in 3-5 years while also strengthening the farm? (I hope, YES!)

 

To totally blow it all up and start over? (I doubt it.)

 

I'm hoping we get a GM that will surround himself with people that know how to build and develop a farm, especially pitching. Free agent signings are largely hit or miss or miss or miss, and not many GMs have a great track record of choosing correctly.

 

We may not finish in last over the next 1-3 years, depending on how extreme the "rebuild" will be, so maybe it won't be called a "cliff," but clearly the :down time" is now upon us.

 

Having an owner like Henry should make it a bit easier to get back to the top or near the top in just a few short years, but it will not be easy under the rules of today's game. The next GM will have very little room for mistakes in drafting, signing and hiring staff, especially on big ticket acquisitions.

 

I'm thankful DD brought us 3 division wins and a ring, and the "win today" philosophy worked- thank God! It's now the day of reckoning, and it's time to pay for that philosophy. Many knew this day was coming. We were hopeful it wouldn't come so soon or so steep, but here it is.

 

[S5Dewey]

IMO an injustice has been done here. I know that the Sox have had a much worse season than anticipated so someone has to pay the price but letting DD go now is a mistake. DD did exactly what a GM is supposed to do. He assembled a team that should and would be a WSC contender had it not been for the unforseen collapse of the top of the rotation.

 

And please.. this collapse had nothing to do with the signing of Pearce over getting a couple of BP arms. If he'd signed Kimbrel, Chapman, AND Kenley Jansen it would have had nothing to do with the fact that Sale, Price and Porcillo sucked and gave up too many runs too early in the games.

 

The path now isn't a pretty one. Some of these big contracts have to go - if they can be unloaded, and if they are unloaded the Sox are going to have to pick up part of the salaries. Nobody - except maybe Devers - on that team is safe now. There's going to be a reset of major proportions and many of those familiar names, those names who comprised one of the best offensive and defensive teams in baseball, are going to be gone.

 

It looks to me like if you liked 2014 & 2015 you're going to LOVE 2020.

[Nick]

What will the next GM's framework be?

 

To reset in 2020? (My guess is, YES!)

 

To build a winner in 3-5 years while also strengthening the farm? (I hope, YES!)

 

To totally blow it all up and start over? (I doubt it.)

 

I'm hoping we get a GM that will surround himself with people that know how to build and develop a farm, especially pitching. Free agent signings are largely hit or miss or miss or miss, and not many GMs have a great track record of choosing correctly.

 

We may not finish in last over the next 1-3 years, depending on how extreme the "rebuild" will be, so maybe it won't be called a "cliff," but clearly the :down time" is now upon us.

 

Having an owner like Henry should make it a bit easier to get back to the top or near the top in just a few short years, but it will not be easy under the rules of today's game. The next GM will have very little room for mistakes in drafting, signing and hiring staff, especially on big ticket acquisitions.

 

I'm thankful DD brought us 3 division wins and a ring, and the "win today" philosophy worked- thank God! It's now the day of reckoning, and it's time to pay for that philosophy. Many knew this day was coming. We were hopeful it wouldn't come so soon or so steep, but here it is.

 

 

It's not like we have nothing

 

Our opening day lineup could be

Betts, Devers, Xander, JD, Beni, Chavis, Vaz, Hernandez and JBJ (probably a long shot).....

 

If healthy

Price, Sale, Eovaldi, E Rod and someone not named Johnson.

[Bellhorn04]

I actually think the timing of this was exactly right. JH shows again that he doesn't ness around.

[S5Dewey]

It's not like we have nothing

 

Our opening day lineup could be

Betts, Devers, Xander, JD, Beni, Chavis, Vaz, Hernandez and JBJ (probably a long shot).....

 

If healthy

Price, Sale, Eovaldi, E Rod and someone not named Johnson.

 

I think that's wishful thinking. You're talking about essentially the same team as in 2019 with essentially the same salaries. If JH had wanted to do that he'd have kept DD.

[Slasher9]

Thanks go out to dd and now it's on to the next GM.. Where's Cherington when you need him? Let all of you condescending jackasses who know so much about the way it works and that would include the jackson ass from NY fame. I will do my thing as a fan for the next guy up.

 

i agree with you about supporting the next guy but we will for sure pick him (or her) apart as best we can the second they are hired.

i think they go with a young guy for the rebuild.

someone with some fiscal responsibility (so def not a republican).

do you believe in the cliff yet?

[Slasher9]

Really really surprising.

 

Let it be known, you must win the world series every year if you want to keep your job. Yikes!

 

well,,,,you do have to hit a HR every AB to be the starting CFer for the Red Sox too, amiright???

[Slasher9]

Welcome to the rebuild

 

awwwwwww....jackie-pooh didnt get to start this thread. that is what is truly shocking....