Red Sox have fired GM Dave Dombrowski

[moonslav59]

The thing is, with DD, you get some winning seasons but you also get a mess like the 2020 Red Sox and the Tigers the last few years. His MO is very simple - spends lots of money and trade away all tradable prospects to win today and then hope tomorrow never comes.

 

There may be a flaw in that strategy, one you described as “unwatchable “...

 

DD did keep Devers and Beni.

[Bellhorn04]

DD did keep Devers and Beni.

 

And he didn't trade Houck or Dalbec etc.

 

He didn't leave the team in quite as bad a shape as some make out.

 

But I'm glad to have Bloom guiding the team now.

[notin]

DD did keep Devers and Beni.

 

He did.

 

And I recently realized his immediate moves to upgrade the bullpen instead of the rotation were actually the right moves, so mea culpa there...

[moonslav59]

 

He didn't leave the team in quite as bad a shape as some make out.

 

 

We're one of the 3 worst teams in MLB, so there is that.

[cp176]

The thing is, with DD, you get some winning seasons but you also get a mess like the 2020 Red Sox and the Tigers the last few years. His MO is very simple - spends lots of money and trade away all tradable prospects to win today and then hope tomorrow never comes.

 

There may be a flaw in that strategy, one you described as “unwatchable “...

 

silly comment

[jacksonianmarch]

DD is the perfect guy for a team that hasn’t won in awhile, has some foundational pieces on the current roster, has lots of cap room and a top 10 farm. He will get you to the World Series. There’s a talent there. He seems to always pay the extra fee for the top of the top talents. He’s not an “upgrade with mediocrity” kind of guy.

[Nick]

DD is the perfect guy for a team that hasn’t won in awhile, has some foundational pieces on the current roster, has lots of cap room and a top 10 farm. He will get you to the World Series. There’s a talent there. He seems to always pay the extra fee for the top of the top talents. He’s not an “upgrade with mediocrity” kind of guy.

 

Perfect summation.....I enjoy your posts.

 

As a Sox fan pressure is all on Yankees. Getting to the World Series means nothing to the Yankees from my perspective. They have to win it all. Otherwise, the world series count is 4-1 in favor of the Sox in Henry era. Having the third worst record in a 60 game season is something I can tolerate. I'm anxious to see what Bloom will do with the high draft pick. Now if the Yankees win it all, yeah it'll sting a bit.

[jad]

And he didn't trade Houck or Dalbec etc.

 

He didn't leave the team in quite as bad a shape as some make out.

 

But I'm glad to have Bloom guiding the team now.

 

Well, let's hope your faith is rewarded. But unless CB spends up to and even over the salary cap next year, all of what is cited in his defense (building for the future, reloading the farm, stabilizing the RS, looking long term ... whatever)--all of that will be hogwash. His primary goal is to save ownership money. Period. Everything else (winning, having a good team, supporting popular players, etc.) is secondary.

[jacksonianmarch]

Perfect summation.....I enjoy your posts.

 

As a Sox fan pressure is all on Yankees. Getting to the World Series means nothing to the Yankees from my perspective. They have to win it all. Otherwise, the world series count is 4-1 in favor of the Sox in Henry era. Having the third worst record in a 60 game season is something I can tolerate. I'm anxious to see what Bloom will do with the high draft pick. Now if the Yankees win it all, yeah it'll sting a bit.

 

It’d be fascinating in a normal year to see which Yankee team shows up for the POS. This year has been so weird and trying in a work and personal way, that it’s not a central thought for me. But it isn’t like the Yanks are bad. They’ve got the offense, the names in the pen and the headlined rotation to go far. But great teams find a way to win, and this team seems to find ways to lose. When they’re on, they’re entirely unbeatable. But they almost don’t seem to handle any sort of adversity. They get punched in the face and then need 4-5 days or more to get their mojo back. It’s strange, like they’re searching for their identity. I will tell you this, if the Yanks come back and pull out a win in dramatic fashion early in the playoffs, that could carry them far.

[Bellhorn04]

We're one of the 3 worst teams in MLB, so there is that.

 

A 60 game cliff won't kill us.

 

The prognosis for next year is not looking that bad.

[Elktonnick]

It’d be fascinating in a normal year to see which Yankee team shows up for the POS. This year has been so weird and trying in a work and personal way, that it’s not a central thought for me. But it isn’t like the Yanks are bad. They’ve got the offense, the names in the pen and the headlined rotation to go far. But great teams find a way to win, and this team seems to find ways to lose. When they’re on, they’re entirely unbeatable. But they almost don’t seem to handle any sort of adversity. They get punched in the face and then need 4-5 days or more to get their mojo back. It’s strange, like they’re searching for their identity. I will tell you this, if the Yanks come back and pull out a win in dramatic fashion early in the playoffs, that could carry them far.

 

The biggest disadvantage the Yankees have in the playoffs is that the team is built for Yankee Stadium and after the first round no games will be played there.

[Bellhorn04]

Well, let's hope your faith is rewarded. But unless CB spends up to and even over the salary cap next year, all of what is cited in his defense (building for the future, reloading the farm, stabilizing the RS, looking long term ... whatever)--all of that will be hogwash. His primary goal is to save ownership money. Period. Everything else (winning, having a good team, supporting popular players, etc.) is secondary.

 

I don't believe this is the goal for a second. We'll see this offseason.

[notin]

Well, let's hope your faith is rewarded. But unless CB spends up to and even over the salary cap next year, all of what is cited in his defense (building for the future, reloading the farm, stabilizing the RS, looking long term ... whatever)--all of that will be hogwash. His primary goal is to save ownership money. Period. Everything else (winning, having a good team, supporting popular players, etc.) is secondary.

 

And your source for this is?

[notin]

silly comment

 

Sorry for not genuflecting at the Altar Dombrowski. Maybe you missed the 2020 season?

[jacksonianmarch]

I do think Bloom will need to save some money, I do agree there. Everyone, everywhere is trying to recoup losses from this year. So would I be surprised if the Sox play it cheap this off-season? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I think these FAs are gonna need to be willing to punt and take a one year deal so they can get the actual value they were hoping for due to the losses of 2020 and uncertainty of 2021 with fans

[notin]

I do think Bloom will need to save some money, I do agree there. Everyone, everywhere is trying to recoup losses from this year. So would I be surprised if the Sox play it cheap this off-season? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I think these FAs are gonna need to be willing to punt and take a one year deal so they can get the actual value they were hoping for due to the losses of 2020 and uncertainty of 2021 with fans

 

I don’t think they’ll spend $240 million, but they will spend. They painted themselves into that corner with the Reset Button tweet..,

[dgalehouse]

We're one of the 3 worst teams in MLB, so there is that.

 

That is is little disingenuous. In addition to what we have on the field today , D.D. also left Mookie , Price , Workman , Porcello , Moreland , a healthy E-Rod and a healthy Benintendi.

[Kimmi]

i hate Maddon. He is an arrogant know it all, but DD never gave me that vibe. I would describe him as bland. He was okay with me, because when I saw that he sat in the stands at every single spring training game. He was very hands on in that regard observing his players. He also watched most road games from the stands. A self-important twit wouldn’t do that.

 

Hands on and and self important twit are not mutually exclusive. I'm basing it off of the speculation that Dombrowski was not much of a team player.

[Kimmi]

DD is the perfect guy for a team that hasn’t won in awhile, has some foundational pieces on the current roster, has lots of cap room and a top 10 farm. He will get you to the World Series. There’s a talent there. He seems to always pay the extra fee for the top of the top talents. He’s not an “upgrade with mediocrity” kind of guy.

 

I could have done that, as could any of us. Pay more than anyone else for the already most expensive players. There's no talent there.

[Kimmi]

A 60 game cliff won't kill us.

 

The prognosis for next year is not looking that bad.

 

I would like to add that the prognosis for next year is not looking bad because we got rid of Dombrowski. Had we kept him, the cliff would likely run much deeper. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

[Kimmi]

I don't believe this is the goal for a second. We'll see this offseason.

 

I don't believe that either. Get under the cap to reset? Sure. But Henry is not going to become a tight wad all of a sudden. There may not be any huge contracts, but he will continue to spend right around the luxury tax line every year.

[Kimmi]

I do think Bloom will need to save some money, I do agree there. Everyone, everywhere is trying to recoup losses from this year. So would I be surprised if the Sox play it cheap this off-season? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, I think these FAs are gonna need to be willing to punt and take a one year deal so they can get the actual value they were hoping for due to the losses of 2020 and uncertainty of 2021 with fans

 

Henry will not tolerate another season like 2020. He won't play it cheap. But as I just posted, that doesn't mean he has to sign a Bauer or a Realmuto to monster contracts either.

[Kimmi]

That is is little disingenuous. In addition to what we have on the field today , D.D. also left Mookie , Price , Workman , Porcello , Moreland , a healthy E-Rod and a healthy Benintendi.

 

I will give you Workman, Moreland, ERod and Beni.

 

Dombrowski created circumstances that made it nearly impossible to keep Mookie, Price, or re-sign Porcello.

 

He also created circumstances that did not allow to the team to effectively replace ERod or Beni, or any other player for that matter.

[notin]

That is is little disingenuous. In addition to what we have on the field today , D.D. also left Mookie , Price , Workman , Porcello , Moreland , a healthy E-Rod and a healthy Benintendi.

 

He also left no ability to replace any of them if they get hurt or reach free agency...

[moonslav59]

Henry will not tolerate another season like 2020. He won't play it cheap. But as I just posted, that doesn't mean he has to sign a Bauer or a Realmuto to monster contracts either.

 

I agree, and our 40 man roster, from #18-40, is about as thin as I've ever seen it. Of course, signing 22 FAs makes little sense, but I do think we may outbid other teams for top minor league/AAAA type players for depth.

 

It's also entirely possible we start guys like Houck and Dalbec in AAA for opening day, while we let the lower to moderate FA players settle in and prove they should not be replaced. I'm not saying this will happen, but we have a lot of players with options remaining and service time aspects to the choices we will make. Even Beni & Chavis could start the season in AAA, since they have 3 options left. Pivetta is not even on the 40 man roster.

 

Assuming Sale, Pedey and ERod begin the season on the 60 day IL, we could have 10 slots to fill via free agency:

 

SP _________

SP Eovaldi

SP _________

SP Perez

SP _________

SP _________

 

RP _________

RP _________

RP Barnes

RP D Hern

RP Valdez

RP _________

RP Taylor/Brasier

 

C Vazquez, Plawecki

1B _________

2B _________, Munoz/Arroyo

3B Devers

SS Bogaerts

LF Beni

CF _________

RF Verdugo

OF _________

DH Martinez

 

I doubt we sign 10 notable FAs, but doing so would give us the depth we sorely need. More likely, we sign 4-6 noteworthy FAs and maybe 4-6 depth signings who have options left, which would allow us to give the best depth players (FAs and in-system) a shot at winning key slots on the 26 man roster.