Red Sox: Firing Dave Dombrowski was the hard but smart move

Boston Red Sox General Manager and President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski was fired on Monday – can the team rebound in 2020 and beyond?

Bringing Dave Dombrowski to the Red Sox just two weeks after being released by the Detroit Tigers was met with nothing short of happy feelings in Boston. This was the guy who was able to do big things in Detroit, leading the team to four first-place finishes from 2011 through 2014.

2015 spelled a different fate as the team fell out of contention, forcing the Tigers to change things up by firing the GM in early August after the team was playing less than .500 baseball.

Boston spent no time in adding Dombrowski after Ben Cherrington resigned. Cherrington was able to bring one title to Boston in his time as GM of the Red Sox, serving from 2012 until his exit in 2015. After everything that has transpired, Dombrowski actually served less time than Cherrington and few could argue that his moves were better. The reasons for the firing were quite clear. While the former GM had no issue making harsh decisions regarding trades, some of those very moves were the ones that could end up crippling the Sox over the next three to four seasons.

Trading the farm system for the all-in mentality has not paid dividends. Yes, the Red Sox won 108 regular-season games and eventually won the World Series in 2018, but the team is now 76 – 69, in third place and 18 1/2 games behind their division rival New York Yankees.