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Dombrowski doesn't overhype prospects. Other than as for use as currency, I am not sure he acknowledges them at all. In general, the overhyping of Sox prospects seems to pale in comparison to other teams. Even soxprospects.com has dialed back a ton in that department, and their best move was getting rid of the "MLB Comparison" in the profile...

THe Yankees did a great job identifying players like Voit, Urshela, Tauchman and Grigorius. But this wasn't commentary about position players. Your comment was about how the Sox have not developed any starters since Buchholz and Lester - at least not in the cradle to grave fashion. This is true. But my point is, despite a lot of hype, the Yankee haven't either. In that timeframe since 2007, the Yankees have developed 4 starters this way - Severino, Montogmery, Nova and Phil Hughes. That's not exactly a lot of development over the past 12 seasons, and really, coutning Montgomery might be a bit premature given he really has not pitched all that much. So while the Sox might get an "F" in starting pitcher development, the Yankees are in the "D" to "D-" range. The big difference is, the Sox NEVER seem to have pitchers cracking anyone's top 100 list. Groome and Ball made one appearance each. Henry Owens made BA list. Not much else. And the book is far from closed on Groome. The Yankees, on the other hand, must have had more SP ranked over the past 12 years than the Sox. But it has not translated into a better revolving door of SP. Really the Sox big issue is that they keep trading away the starting pitching. It's a bit of a fallacy to say they have not drafted or developed a MLB started since 2007; they just have not kept one. Montas, Beeks, Allen. All traded away. Still not a lot, but it does keep this from being an absolute "0" here...

The same "What have you done for me lately" can also be applied to Cherington, right? Granted, he was not actually fired, but it looked like his job duties were going to be much more limited. And maybe, just maybe, that Cherington constructed the 2013 championship team, did nothing, and produced an abject failure in 2014, made DD's inactivity look all the more questionable. Like "you didn't learn from 2014?" questionable. I agree that trashing people on the way out the door happens far too often. Think Garciaparra, Nomar. As for other organizations, probably. But that wouldn't be covered by the press I read. I will say the Cubs don't. No executive ever deserved to be trashed more than Jim Hendry, and his departure was very quiet on that front. And the parade of managers pre-Maddon also departed without any trashing from the front office. And one would think they could have cushioned the negative PR image from firing Rick Renteria simply because a bigger name became available with some trashing, but it didn't happen. The Cubs just took the negative press until it stopped abruptly in 2016...

A description that holds true in a lot of careers...

Not for 8 years $248million for a player who was already 31. I can’t look this up right now, but is Dombrowski the only GM to give a $200mill contract to a player over 30? He’s done it at least twice...

Granted I never read any book by Francona or anyone else in the Sox. So I don’t know the sources. But it seems to me Lucchino’s biggest crime was being thoroughly unlikable and therefore easy to blame. Maybe it was his history or winning everywhere in multiple sports. Maybe his off-putting “I know business not sports” demeanor. Maybe it was his scaly skin and forked tongue. But there was something about the guy that made putting the blame on him just feel right...

Well, did he really need one? Chris Sale was injured last year and barely pitched in the second half. Nathan Eovaldi has thrown 235 IP in the three previous seasons combined. Was seeing either of them missing significant time really a surprise? Was signing them for a combined $200mill (especially after seeing Price struggle with health issues in year 2 of a 7 year contract) really a wise move? It didn’t require hindsight to see the enormous question marks on these deals. And this isn’t the first time Dombrowski has done this. He stuck the Tigers with Miguel Cabrera, whom they still owe $124mill to. Sometimes I wonder if Dombrowski realizes players do get older...

I agree. Either trade him this winter or don't trade him at all. Take your draft pick and exclusive negotiation window and ability to go about the tax limits after a reset...

And the Unquestioned Best Ever...

I hope the Rays don’t win. I don’t want the Opener Strategy to catch on...

I think of it as his being blamed for the team’s inability to change much once things went south. He depleted (better, Bellhorn?) the farm and saddled the Sox with numerous long term expensive deals on players who are only going to get older...

Not really. He fired two so far. But Epstein and Cherington quit on their own...

Ditto the Dodgers...

All the more reason to offer him a QO. The Sox are the one team that wouldn’t have to worry about that. Your plan levels the playing field the wrong way...

Also above 30. Betts will be 28.

The Chapman scenario did involve a lot of luck. It's not every year you have a team with a chance to break a 108 World Series drought at all costs. Torres was preseason #41 on BA. Manny Machado was traded at the deadline, and while the Orioles did receive 3 prospects for him, only one was ever ranked and he never cracked the top 30 on anyone's list. So trading at the deadline likely gets you a ranked prospect in the 35-45 range. And some other ancillary pieces. Is that enough?

It also helps that the Sox media doesn't massively overhype any system 19yo with a fastball over 95mph and build up our hopes with a slew of Luis Cessa / Jonathan Loasigia / Joba Chamberlain types as MLB future aces. Exactly how many starting pitchers has the Yankee farm put in their rotation in the past ten years besides Severino and Ivan Nova? I guess you can count that one season from Jordan Montgomery. Maybe he can pitch again someday...

Screw objectivity. Astros-Twins.

I'm thinking Nats and Braves

Dodgers are 4-3 against the Nationals this year. But they are 1-3 in games started by Corbin, Schezer and Strasburg. Braves are 4-2 against the Cardinals.

I'm fine with that. I think far too much blame fell on Levangie anyway. If he winds up managing the Worcester Red Sox or something, that's ok with me...

Tell that to Terry Francona...

I don't think it does him a favor. The topflight free agents like Harper and Machado were not limited due to the draft pick loss. It's the middle tier Stephen Drew/Kendrys Morales types who are. The limiting factor with Betts will be the price tag. Just like it was with JD Martinez (who also had no qualifying offer attached)...

One year of Betts is already a fire sale price. Trading Betts at the deadline - when he loses any potential drat pick compensation - lessens his value more. If the Sox are trying to reset the tax limit, it will be tough if they keep JD and Betts. Not impossible, but very difficult. But I hope they do keep at least one of them...

Very possible. Of course, a "near miss" has become a reason for firing a manager in MLB. Like Girardi and Dusty Baker...