If you pay attention to your phone late at night, chances are you got a notification regarding the Red Sox. If you’re a Red Sox fan, you probably had mixed feelings about it. Dave Dombrowski was fired from the Red Sox a few weeks shy of the end of the regular season. General Manager Dombrowski is now gone and their organization is being run by Vice President Eddie Romero. Here’s what to make out of the former executive’s departure.
No Patience For The Old Man
Dave Dombrowski is no fool. He won a pair of World Series with Boston, after all. One would think a pair of championship rings, each with a different generation of players, would give you some cushion to work with. That wasn’t the case for the Massachusetts organization.
If there was no patience for the old man, then someone else’s head might roll as well. Given their most recent move, there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t sack their more inexperienced manager, Alex Cora. This would be even more likely as the team’s performance has been sub-par at best. Not what you want coming off a championship season.
The Epitome Of A Disaster
In case it wasn’t obvious enough, Boston went from historical to disastrous in a twelve months span. Firing your GM only made it more evident. This wasn’t the brightest of PR moves by the 2018 champs.
The Red Sox only made things worse for themselves by getting rid of Dave Dombrowski before the end of the season. They’ve given Yankee fans and other baseball fans alike the perfect excuse. An excuse to look at everything that has been done wrong and laugh at it. This is as much of an on-field problem as it is off-field.
Mookie Might Be Gone
It’s no secret Boston will have to let go of some staff members in order to stay under the luxury tax threshold. This is a common practice in baseball more so than ever. Franchise players such as Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez seemed to be willing to re-sign at all cost come free agency. Things look much more different now for them.
Martinez was a slight headache for them as soon as the championship parade ended. They wanted him on the team, they just didn’t want to pay big bucks. He was used as a long-term rental player. That’s fine, he served them well. Betts on the other hand, is a different story.
The pro bowler/baseball player combo breathes crimson red through and through. He’s been with the Red Sox ever since coming into the minor leagues back in 2011. He has achieved great individual success aside from a World Series ring and being a fan favorite at Fenway Park. And yet, he doesn’t sound convinced to the stay with the team.
“This is proof that this is a business. Like I said, I love it here but definitely this is still a business.” That doesn’t sound very convincing, does it?
What’s Next For The Red Sox?
For now, Red Sox VP Romero will remain in charge. He should be more than capable of finishing the season with Boston given the fact that they’re not a postseason contender. Furthermore, there are only three weeks to go in the regular season.
They could stick to in-house staff as Romero and company know the organization and already have a good relationship with the team. Alternatively, they could seek Jed Hoyer, a former Red Sox employee alongside Theo Epstein. He knows how to win a championship, doing so in both Boston and Chicago. That would come with a hefty price, however, as he’s still under contract with the Cubs.
The Rays’ Erik Neander and Chaim Bloom have done well with little to nothing as they’ve turned Tampa into a legitimate playoff contender. If they have to cut costs, this would be a good and inexpensive hiring.