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

By Charlie Smith

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 21: President CEO General Manager David Dombrowski talks to the press during the retirement announcement of manager Jim Leyland at Comerica Park on October 21, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 21: President CEO General Manager David Dombrowski talks to the press during the retirement announcement of manager Jim Leyland at Comerica Park on October 21, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 5: Dave Dombrowski the President of Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox watches batting practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park on September 5, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox won 9-2. (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images) /

Two contract extensions that doomed Dombrowski

Dombrowski paid Nathan Eovaldi $68 million over four years prior to the beginning of the 2019 season because of one strong postseason performance. His career before coming to Boston was nothing short of mediocre at best. It hardly justified the contract that he received. For the $17 million that Eovaldi made this season, he won just one single game in 9 starts started with an ERA just under 6.00.

Chris Sale also received a major contract extension, $145 million for five years. The injury history was a major concern as no one was truly sure if it was still lingering. What’s worse? There’s a 2025 club option that becomes guaranteed if Sale finishes in the top 10 for the Cy Young Award and doesn’t finish the season on the injured list. Imagine that, Sale getting $165 million through 2025. The Sox theoretically might not be able to hit reset until after that season. Just how bad could this contract be?

While Sale only made $15 million this season, he’ll see his salary double in each of the next three seasons, making a cool $30 million a year from 2020 through 2022. Considering Sale went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA, it was the first time in his career that as a starter he didn’t hit double digits in the win column.

Of course, in Dombrowski’s defense, no one could have ever predicted that Sale was going to go down and potentially need Tommy John surgery, making his $30 million salary next season a complete waste, but the writing was on the wall.

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