Winning a World Series doesn’t even buy you 12 months of job security in Boston these days.
The Red Sox on Sunday night told reporters that they had fired President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, who helped build last year’s World Series-winning team. The new power structure will include assistant GM Eddie Romero, Brian O’Hallaran and Zack Scott working together in baseball operations, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Assistant GM Eddie Romero is going to be part of a group of executives taking over baseball operations with the Red Sox, including Brian O'Halloran and Zack Scott, a source tells ESPN. They are three of the top decision-makers with the Red Sox right now and will work together.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 9, 2019
Dombrowski was in his fourth season leading the Red Sox. The team went 93-69 his first two years but lost in the ALDS. They broke through last year by winning it all. The team won the AL East in all three of his seasons but fell to 76-67 after a loss to the Yankees on Sunday night. They are 17.5 games behind the Yanks in the division and nine games behind the Tampa Bay Rays, a team with a payroll that costs a fraction of Boston’s.
Dombrowski seemed to push all the right buttons last year. He assessed his team and made small but key additions, like adding Steve Pearce, who was huge in the postseason. The team won 108 games in the regular season and then beat a murderer’s row of playoff opponents on their way to the World Series. They went down as one of the best teams in recent history. A regression was to be expected for 2019, but fans and the organization were likely hoping for much more. Instead, some of Dombrowski’s questionable moves included not re-signing Craig Kimbrel, allowing the bullpen to flounder, and signing Nathan Eovaldi to a four-year deal that seems like a bust. The team has a series of high-priced players signed but that does not include Mookie Betts, and the farm system is not in great shape.
Dombrowski did what was needed to bring in a World Series. He most certainly succeeded. But winning comes with a price — giving up top prospects for top players. The Red Sox need to retool somewhat and likely figured they want someone new to help with the next step.
