Red Sox: Grading Dave Dombrowski’s deals that shaped the 2018 season

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 24: Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, left, and Mike Hazen, new Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Red Sox, address the media during a press conference to announce Hazen's promotion before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on September 24, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 24: Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, left, and Mike Hazen, new Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Red Sox, address the media during a press conference to announce Hazen's promotion before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on September 24, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
5 of 5
Red Sox
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 17: Dave Dombrowski the President of Baseball Operations of the Boston Red Sox walks towards the dugout during batting practice before a game against the Toronto Blue Jaysat Fenway Park on April 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Blue Jays won 5-3. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)

Dave Dombrowski Grade

With three years of work in Boston under his belt and two great seasons, it’s only right that he would finish year three up with a World Series title. Hard to complain about the front office when they get you a title. The Sox now are in a tie with the Oakland Athletics for 3rd All-Time with 9 World Series Titles behind the Cardinals with 11 and the Yankees with 27.

Dombrowski has been able to get the Red Sox to finish the American League East Division in 1st place three years in a row, the first time that has happened in the team’s history. It’s the best run since the run of 1915 through 1918 where the team finished 1st overall in three of four seasons, finishing in 2nd the only other year. After finishing 93-69 back to back seasons, DD countered that with a team best 108 wins, 15 better than the prior two seasons.

It will be hard to see Dombrowski leaving Boston anytime soon especially after helping bring a title to Bean Town for the first time in five seasons. Will he have a long tenure? Perhaps. Only time will tell. For the time being, Sox fans can enjoy being fans of the current World Series Champions. If the team plays their cards right, they could go back-to-back.

It will be hard to give him anything higher than that as Kimbrel has certainly played his last game as a member of the Red Sox. Thornburg has been a complete sham from the get go. Sale has been a gem minus the injuries. The Sox have offered Dombrowski a real contender in comparison to when he was the GM of the Tigers, who were barely staying afloat for years before their short stretch later on in his tenure. Still, we’re left with what could end up becoming one of the best runs by the Boston Red Sox, if not the best in their storied history.

Schedule