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Red Sox: Dave Dombrowski on the Hot Seat at Winter Meetings

By Earl Nash |
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 30: A sign directing fans outside on Yawkey Way before the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on August 30, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 30: A sign directing fans outside on Yawkey Way before the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on August 30, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

If you were the Boston Red Sox General Manager at the Winter meetings, what moves would you make? Spend on free agents? Make a trade?

You’re Dave Dombroski and you are on the Red Sox Hot Seat.

Your arch-enemy GM in New York, Brian Cashman, has just side-swiped you by pulling off a Ruthian deal, giving the Yankees a successor to the Ruth & Gehrig, M & M Boys duos with the tandem terrors, Giancarlo Stanton &  Aaron Judge.

Red Sox Nation turns their expectant eyes to you, wondering how you can even things up with a blockbuster signing or trade.

You’re Dave Dombroski and you could go all-in and buy both outfielder J.D. Martinez and first baseman Eric Hosmer.

But, that would require a ton of money and long-term contracts and put your budget into the dreaded Luxury Tax zone.

Word is that superstar agent Scott Boras, who represents Martinez and Hosmer, has been throwing around the $200 million figure for a 10-year contract.

You’re thinking Hosmer could get that kind of deal, but Martinez would be under that range.

You’re Dave Dombroski and you look at the list of MLB contracts that have been in that range:

You are amused to recall that, when were the Detroit GM, you signed Martinez to a signed a 2-year, $18,500,000 in 2016. Now you wonder whether he’s worth that much more money based on just two good offensive seasons.

Sure, he slugged .690 on the season, best in the majors. Even better than Giancarlo Stanton, who smashed 59 home runs. Martinez hit 45, including an unbelievable 29 home runs in 62 game. Plus, Martinez’s .574 slugging percentage ranks second in the majors since 2014, behind only Mike Trout (.579).

But has he peaked at 30 years old?

And, his defense is well below Mookie, Benny, and Jackie…

You’re Dave Dombroski and you scan your ranked list of Red Sox prospects…

If you trade your first pick in the 2016 draft, LHP Jay Groome, the Sox fans will be apoplectic and your No. 2 guy, third baseman Michael Chavis, is your best position prospect, who might be ready by 2019.  Unlikely a rebuilding team would want your No. 4, Sam Travis, who is 24 and will quickly become a DH.

You look down the list and notice your No. 5, 6, and 7 guys [Tanner Houk, Alex Scherff, Mike Shawaryn] are all right-handed pitchers and you think they all would be expendable and attractive to other teams in a package deal.

Teams who have done their research might go deeper into your list and ask for third baseman Bobby Dalbec, who has a great arm and looks like a kid who could start in the Majors as soon as 2019.

You’re Dave Dombroski and you’re thinking that both Dalbec and Chavis are expendable, since you are committed to Devers for the moment.

Maybe a 5-player package with the three RHPs, Dalbec and Chavis would draw some interest…

OK, then, maybe you cannot break the bank by signing Hosmer and Martinez, but you could afford one of them and then work a trade for Jose Abreu…

Yeah, the White Sox might bite on that 5-player package for Abreu…

You’re Dave Dombroski and you’re on the Red Sox Hot Seat so you go to your speed dial list to call White Sox GM Rick Hahn.  You offer him your 5-prospect package [and some salary relief].

And maybe, if the White Sox have not taken the bait for an Abreu trade, you see if you can get Hosmer, a great clubhouse guy, who would fit into the mix as a leader, to take a shorter, cheaper contract.

Next: Waiting for response to Yankees trade for Giancarlo Stanton

You’re Dave Dombroski, GM of the Boston Red Sox, and you have arrived at the most important move you will make in your career.

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